Blue Jays: Ricky Tiedemann hype is back heading into 2026 Spring Training

Tiedemann, 23, currently ranked No. 4 among Toronto Blue Jays prospects, isn’t generating much buzz right now — but that could change in a hurry once spring training games get underway.

Despite never surpassing the 78 2/3 innings he threw during his first full professional season in 2022, the left-hander still landed on Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list in three consecutive off seasons.

The reason for the stalled momentum is well documented. Tiedemann missed most of 2024 and the entirety of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

This spring will mark his first competitive action in nearly two years, and simply taking the mound again is a significant milestone.

At 23 years old, durability remains the biggest question. Since being selected in the third round of the 2021 draft, Tiedemann has logged just 140 professional innings. The raw talent, however, has never been in doubt.

He’ll likely open the year at Triple-A Buffalo, where he has made only five career starts (13 innings), but the upside is enormous.

With a riding four-seam fastball that can touch the upper 90s and a vicious, swing-and-miss sweeper from the left side, Tiedemann has a legitimate chance to become the organization’s most intriguing wild card if he looks anything like his pre-injury self.

Across his minor-league career, he owns a 3.02 ERA and has struck out an eye-popping 39.6% of opposing hitters.

The 11.9% walk rate remains a concern, but at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Tiedemann profiles as either a playoff-ready starter or a late-inning reliever with potentially elite bat-missing stuff.

If his stuff returns at even 95% of its previous level, it won’t take long for him to force his way into the Blue Jays’ plans.

Eventually, roster decisions come down to one simple truth: you need your best 13 pitchers available.

And if Ricky Tiedemann is healthy, it’s going to be very tempting to measure him against the weakest arm in the Blue Jays’ bullpen.

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