Toronto Blue Jays fans finally had something to latch onto Wednesday morning, and it comes with the name they’ve been waiting on for a long time: Ricky Tiedemann.
The former top prospect in the organization is moving up to Triple-A Buffalo after a short, encouraging run in Dunedin. Tiedemann, now ranked as the Blue Jays’ No. 10 prospect, is 23 years old and has logged just four innings this season after sitting out all of 2025.
The talent has never been the question. Staying on the field has been the obstacle, with injuries knocking the 2021 third-round pick off track again and again. That might be starting to turn, at least enough to give Toronto a real reason for optimism.
Rather than stretching him back out as a starter, the Blue Jays have chosen a different lane for him this year. Tiedemann is being used strictly in one-inning outings, a move designed to keep him healthy and on the mound.
So far, the early returns have been strong. Across those four innings, he has allowed one earned run and struck out seven. In his most recent appearance, his fastball reached 97.4 m.p.h. and sat at 96.5.
The step to Buffalo is only part of the climb, of course. He still has to keep pitching well and keep his body right. But with the way things have gone, the Blue Jays suddenly have a path that could lead to Tiedemann making his long-awaited MLB debut in September.
For a season that has given Toronto very little to feel good about, that would count as a welcome silver lining.
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The right-hander is already moving on to his next stop, with a Cubs debut set for Friday against the Kansas City Royals, yet his words suggested Toronto will not be just another stop on the itinerary. For Blue Jays fans, it leaves the deal feeling a little less final than most, with the emotional part of the story still hanging in the air. [Read more 🡒]