With their second selection in the 2021 draft, at 91st overall (their third-round pick), the Toronto Blue Jays selected Golden West College pitcher Ricky Tiedemann.

With the Blue Jays not having a second round draft pick this year (thanks to the signing of George Springer in the offseason), the Blue Jays went with another college pitcher in the third round.

Tiedemann had big bonus money in mind coming out of high school in 2020 and, apparently, in such a strange draft year, teams weren’t willing to go as far as Tiedemann had wanted and he wasn’t selected in the five-round draft. He went to Golden West College (a junior college) and came into his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame, touching 94 mph with his fastball (sitting 89-92) and Baseball America feels that his fastball has a lot of life coming out of a “low slot that creates a difficult angle for hitters.” They like his changeup as a “plus offering” with room to improve and his “hard slider has become consistently average.” While his numbers weren’t terrific this spring, scouts like his athleticism and upside at a young age (he’s still just 18).

MLB.com writers like his upside and ability to throw strikes “even if he starts throwing harder,” and as a lefty with projection, a lot people can be interested in what he’s got. Tiedemann threw 38 innings this year with a 3.55 ERA and 40 hits with 15 walks over that span. He also struck out 60 batters, showing off his stuff.

Tiedemann will be another guy to follow who may take some time to reach the upper levels of the minors but scouts think that he can project very well as a young lefty with the potential to have a couple of at least average offspeed pitches.

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