Blue Jays prospects notebook: Buzz builds around Tiedemann

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TORONTO — The buzz surrounding Ricky Tiedemann continues to build and the 19-year-old left-hander is doing nothing to stop it.

Just the opposite, in fact, as Tiedemann has come out in his first professional season dominating with Single-A Dunedin, showing off a 98-mph fastball as well as developing breaking stuff. Across his first four starts, Tiedemann has run up a tidy 0.90 ERA with 33 strikeouts across 20 frames.

Drafted in the third round last July with the 91st overall pick, the strides Tiedemann quietly made behind the scenes last fall after being selected are now starting to show up on the mound in game action. He’s almost universally seen as a draft-day steal already.

“We’re extremely excited about the start he’s gotten off to with all of the work that he’s put in since we got him, really,” said Blue Jays director of player development Joe Sclafani. “He just continues to impress and do things the right way. Obviously, the first full season is a beast and it’s an adjustment trying to figure out the routine of the everyday pro grind. He’s answered every bell on that front and, obviously, what he’s doing on the mound has been really impressive.”

If there’s anything to nitpick from a statistical point of view, it’s his 10 walks, but the Florida State League is using the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) and that zone has provided a different set of circumstances for young pitchers in the lower levels.

You can’t quibble with the stuff, however, as Tiedemann has been sitting 95-97 mph with his heater, touching 98, while also throwing a slider and changeup.

“He’s exceeded his goal thus far with the velocity we had set for him. He’s filling up the zone with all of his pitches, the walk rate is a little