Locked On MLB Prospects - Daily Podcast on Minor League Baseball · Locked On Podcast Network, Lindsay Crosby

2024 Toronto Blue Jays prospects: Why Ricky Tiedemann's the #1 LHP prospect

·31 min·2 clips

Ricky Tiedemann's 2023 stats hide an elite pitcher who struck out 16.8 batters per nine innings.

This episode focuses on the Toronto Blue Jays' farm system, hosted by award-winning baseball writer Lindsey Crosby. Crosby analyzes the organization's top prospects, with a particular emphasis on pitching talent and a deep group of infielders. The central figure is left-handed pitcher Ricky Tiedemann, a 2021 third-round pick who has thrown only 122.2 professional innings due to injuries. In 44 innings across three minor league levels last year, Tiedemann posted a 3.68 ERA with 82 strikeouts and allowed just one home run. His fastball sits at 95 mph with a low release point and over a foot of horizontal movement, complemented by a sweeper and changeup that each move about 20 inches. Infielder Orelvis Martinez hit 28 homers across AA and AAA, showing improved contact skills with an in-zone contact rate of 84% and a 90th-percentile exit velocity of 106 mph. Addison Barger, who played multiple positions in AAA, altered his approach to prioritize contact, resulting in an average exit velocity of 89 mph. Lower-level pitchers like Adam Macko and Kendry Rojas feature unique fastball characteristics, with Macko's showing double-digit horizontal movement and Rojas's boasting 19 inches of induced vertical break. Tiedemann's combination of velocity, movement, and a low release point makes his fastball exceptionally difficult for right-handed hitters to track. Martinez made a concerted effort to improve his swing decisions, leading to better performance against breaking balls and with two strikes. Despite hitting only nine homers in AAA, Barger's underlying metrics, including a 106 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity, suggest untapped power. The Blue Jays' system has a notable shortage of true outfield prospects, with Alan Roden, Jace Bohrofen, and Emmanuel Bonilla all projecting as corner outfielders. The organization's apparent drafting strategy targets pitchers with fastballs that possess both carry and cutting action, as seen with Tiedemann, Macko, and 2022 first-rounder Brandon Barriera. The tone is analytical and educational, breaking down player mechanics and statistical trends in detail. Crosby delivers the content in a straightforward, informative style aimed at dedicated fans. Listeners interested in advanced pitching metrics and hitter development paths will find this episode especially valuable. Those seeking broad organizational news or coverage of upper-level outfield prospects may find the focus too narrow.

As heard by us

A practical Jays farm preview that centers Tiedemann and uses Barger to show the system's depth and fit questions.

The Toronto Blue Jays farm preview works best when it stays on the players and the jobs they could take on. Ricky Tiedemann gets the top billing as likely the best lefty starter in the minors when healthy, and the rest of the system is framed around how it fits with him.

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Why you'd press play

You want a Toronto farm preview built around Ricky Tiedemann, with the Jays' position-player depth in view.

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