The Blue Jays select LHP Ricky Tiedemann with third-round pick

While the 2020 amateur season was cut short because of the pandemic, Tiedemann did manage to become a bit of a pop-up prospect who rose into MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prior to last year’s Draft. The younger brother of Rangers Minor League right-hander Tai Tiedemann went undrafted in the five-round event and rather than head to San Diego State, he switched gears to Long Beach Junior College in order to be eligible this year. When Long Beach cancelled spring sports because of COVID-19, Tiedemann was on the move again, this time to Golden West College.

Tiedemann’s overall profile of solid stuff, size and athleticism hasn’t changed much in a year’s time, but there’s plenty to like. His fastball sits in the low-90s and will bump 93-94 mph at times, with more in the tank as he continues to add strength to his 6-foot-4 frame. His changeup flashes plus and his slider has gotten a bit tighter and more effective.

A good athlete who hit in the middle of his high school lineup, Tiedemann should be able to continue throwing strikes even if he starts throwing harder. He still hasn’t been seen a ton, but given how hard it is to find projectable left-handed starters, scouts will be paying many visits to Golden West to see if Tiedemann is worthy of a top three or four round selection.