Biography:
In the five mock drafts I ran for the Mets, I had the Mets selecting Blade Tidwell in three of them. In fact, I had him selected with a first round pick in most of these scenarios. Instead, the Mets managed to select both Kevin Parada and Jett Williams before getting Tidwell in the second round.
Tidwell comes out of Tennessee and had a strong high school showing as his team reached the 2017 state championship. He became a Tennessee Volunteer by sticking to his home state for college and looks to follow in R.A. Dickey’s footsteps to major league success. Injury concerns likely pushed Tidwell out of being a first round selection in the draft.
Resume:
Tidwell played in 5 games for the Low A affiliate and managed a sparklingly low ERA and a solid WHIP in that time. He gave up very few fits in his 9.1 innings of work but did give up a troubling number of bases on balls.
Pitching:
Control:
While control isn’t the highlight of his game it isn’t supposed to be a major concern either. Tidwell is a power pitcher who is going to walk some batters but his 7 walks in 9.1 innings were likely still more than the Mets wanted to see in his brief minor league showing.
Power:
Tidwell sits in the upper 90s and can likely his triple digits with his fastball. He managed 11 strikeouts in his minor league debut and it seems likely that he can keep his K/9 above 9.0 moving forward.
Stuff:
What is most promising about Tidwell is that he isn’t a one or even two pitch starter. Tidwell comes into the organization with four viable pitches. His fastball and slider are his best pitches but his changeup and curveball are both strong candidates for development.
Fielding:
Little is said about his fielding ability which also means there isn’t reason for concern.
Outlook:
Tidwell’s 2022 experience came for Port St. Lucie which suggests the Mets could have him begin his season in Brooklyn as he was a collegiate player. The Mets have been cautious in the past but I expect him to be pushed since the organization is so starved for starting pitcher talent.
Fun side note:
The Vols play at none other than Lindsey Nelson Stadium at UT!
Thank you, David. I always enjoy your ‘deep dives’
Prediction, David? A number 2 starter in the bigs?
A prediction at this point is essentially throwing a dart. He has the scouted stuff and mechanics to be a front-line starter but until I see his relative success in the minors saying something definitive is disingenuous.