Straight out of Long Beach, CA, Ricky Tiedemann is among one of the top prospects for the 2020 draft. This Lakewood High School 2020 graduate has been a key component to his high school team and will continue that role at San Diego State University this coming fall if he does not agree to terms with the team that drafts him.
Coming in at 6’3’’ and 195 pounds, Tiedemann is among the elite in the draft class being a two-way player. Over his high school career, he excelled at being a first baseman, left-handed pitcher, and an outfielder. Based on performance, Tiedemann will most likely continue on the mound.
Tiedemann currently ranks 92nd on MLB.com‘s 2020 prospect rankings. Unfortunately, his senior season got cut short just like everybody else’s, but the work he put in his sophomore and junior year is very telling. The lefty finished his varsity years with a 2.88 ERA in 142.2 innings pitched with a .438 winning percentage. He started ten games out of his 29 appearances on the mound. He alowed 49 walks but struck out 119 batters. Tiedemann’s pitching stats are not the best in his class, but they all mesh well together and there are few outliers in his performance.
Strengths
Ricky Tiedemann has been gifted in his athletic build; this will help him develop and excel in the areas that he is already working hard at. Tiedemann has a toolbox of three pitches, that scouts deem as above average.
His fastball ranges from 88-92 MPH, topping out at 93 MPH. Since June of last year (2019), his fastball velocity has increased by two MPH. This puts his fastball in the 95th percentile, well above his class average of 82 MPH. As mentioned earlier, his frame and build will help him increase velocity over time.
The second pitch of Tiedemann’s repertoire is a changeup. He is well in tune with this pitch and has found great success when faced with players on both sides of the plate. Just like his fastball, there is room for improvement. Tiedemann’s changeup is powered by slower arm speed. All of his pitches have above-average potential, but his breaking ball is farthest from where it needs to be. He has showcased some impressive breaking balls with good spin. Anyhow, it is still developing and the “youngest” pitch in Tiedemann’s arsenal.
Weaknesses
At the time of the draft, Ricky Tiedemann will be 17 years and nine months. He is one of the youngest 2020 draft prospects, and that can sometimes be looked down upon by teams. A large number of scouts have watched Tiedemann over countless innings and seen his potential.
His pitches may not be perfect, but everyone is banking on his athletic frame to give him the push to further develop his arsenal. MLB teams may be looking for a more developed left-handed pitcher. With Tiedemann being so young, he is still learning the ropes of the game.
There is still a lot of work to be done on Tiedemann’s breaking ball. He has not shown to be very consistent in the mechanics of this pitch. Tiedemann is note-worthy on the mound, but what most scouts have noticed is his inconsistency in the direction and landing spot of all his pitches. Most scouts and people who have spent time watching Tiedemann are optimistic about the future of his pitching, but it does not match up equally to those high up in his draft class.
MLB Comp
Archie Bradley of the Arizona Diamondbacks is comparable to the young prospect, Ricky Tiedemann. Bradley finished his 2019 season with a winning percentage of .444 (7-9) and an ERA of 3.52. These numbers were recorded based on 66 games and one game started. Just like Tiedemann, Bradley relies mostly on his fastball. His fastball has an above-average velocity, 96 MPH. With Tiedemann’s track record of increasing his fastball velocity, he could soon be on Bradley’s level.
Over the years Bradley has had to work on developing a pitch or two that would go along with his fastball and curveball. Since then, he has added a changeup and cut fastball to make a full arsenal. Similarly, Tiedemann has to improve upon and develop his changeup and breaking ball to go along with his fastball. If Tiedemann can make these developments, he will potentially have a similar route to the major leagues as Archie Bradley.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
