The Toronto Blue Jays have an ace in the hole that most pundits have forgotten about, Ricky Tiedemann.
Most Blue Jays fans and MLB analysts are focusing on free agents Chris Bassitt and Framber Valdez. While they have good reason to do so, the Blue Jays have a plethora of talent to pick from for their rotation this season.
They added Cody Ponce and Dylan Cease through the free agent market earlier this winter. Those two hurlers are added to a rotation that already boasts Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, and Jose Berrios.
But Tiedemann should not be forgotten, as he could have a bigger impact on the rotation than most people realize.
Toronto Blue Jays’ Ricky Tiedemann Predicted to Have a Big Comeback Year
Baseball America released its list of 15 prospects who are headed for a bounce-back season in 2026. Making an appearance at the end of the list was the Blue Jays’ Tiedemann.
“Tiedemann ranked No. 1 in the Blue Jays’ system for three consecutive years from 2023 through 2025,” Jesus Cano wrote for the outlet on January 30, 2026. “But he hasn’t pitched in a game since July 2024, following his recovery from Tommy John surgery. As a result, Tiedemann dropped to sixth in Toronto’s 2026 preseason Top 30. Injuries have derailed Tiedemann and kept him from fully maximizing his potential, as he was restricted to just 61.1 innings across the 2023 and 2024 seasons due to ongoing elbow issues.”
“Slated to return in 2026 in a reliever role as he regains momentum as a starter, the 23-year-old needs to prove his three-pitch mix of a fastball, slider, and changeup can be nearly as effective as it was before the injury.”
In 2024, Tiedemann pitched 27 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings across eight games.
Tiedemann’s Arsenal Features 99-MPH Weapon
As Baseball America cited above, Tiedemann leans on three pitches. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN calls those offerings “three plus pitches at his best.”
Another scouting report calls Tiedemann’s fastball “one of the best pitches in the organization.” That fastball sits around 94-95 MPH, but back in February 2023, it clocked in at 99 MPH.
Now, if he could just stay healthy…
Did You Forget About Tiedemann? Here’s Why
Tiedemann lost all of the 2025 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
On July 27th, 2024, it was announced that Tiedemann would undergo Tommy John surgery.
“The bad news just keeps on coming. Ricky Tiedemann, the Blue Jays’ No. 1 prospect and a gifted young left-hander, will undergo full Tommy John surgery on Tuesday,” Keegan Matheson wrote for MLB.com. “Tiedemann has battled injuries all season, which is unfortunately nothing new for him. He first hit the IL in late April with ulnar nerve inflammation in his left elbow, and after finally working his way back to Triple-A on July 10, he left his first start after just one inning with some tightness in his left forearm.”
Recovery time from Tommy John was expected to take 12-14 months.
Tiedemann a Part of the Blue Jays Rotation?
Earlier this offseason, Blue Jays GM gave a nugget of information that perked up the majority of fans’ ears.
“Hopefully he’s a factor for us in our rotation,” Atkins said via MLB.com in late December, 2025. “That’s the plan, but we would be open to him impacting the team in a bulk role or some creative way.”
As peculiar as this may sound, it makes a lot of sense. Especially when you consider that Tiedemann is a lefty and the rest of the Blue Jays rotation is right-handed.
Having a starting rotation of exclusively right-handed pitchers puts them at a huge disadvantage in the long-term scope of the season. Having Tiedemann gives them a lefty talent to face lefty bats, something every rotation needs.
However, signing a free agent like Valdez also satisfies this need.
Given Tiedemann’s injury history, a prudent approach would be to take things slowly. This means potentially starting the young southpaw in a long-reliever role. This could evolve into a swingman position, similar to Eric Lauer’s duties during the 2025 season and playoff run.
Having a lefty like Tiedemann in their back pocket is a huge asset for the upcoming season. If all goes well, he could force the organization to make some tough decisions.
But that is a problem that the Blue Jays will welcome with open arms.
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