Ricky Tiedemann

A consensus top-five pitching prospect entering 2023, Tiedemann dazzled in spring training before missing a month with a sore shoulder. He exited his fourth start of the year at Double-A with biceps soreness, which ended up sidelining him for 10 weeks. Tiedemann returned to action in late-July and logged 10 full-season starts, primarily at Double-A, although he averaged less than three innings per outing as the Jays were extremely careful with his workload. The 21-year-old southpaw finished the year with one four-inning start at Triple-A and went to the Arizona Fall League to make up for lost time. He logged a 2.50 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and a 23:8 K:BB in in 18 innings across four AFL starts. Tiedemann's trademark plus changeup and slider were giving AFL hitters fits, and he touched 97 mph with his fastball. He dealt with multiple arm injuries and posted a 12 percent walk rate in 62 innings, so the red flags with Tiedemann are hard to miss. If he can hold up as a starter at Triple-A for a couple months, he could spend the rest of the season in the big-league rotation, but a zero in fantasy is also on the table for 2024.

A southpaw with a prototypical 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame, good athleticism and loud stuff, Tiedemann's ascent from the 91st overall pick in 2021 to one of the best pitching prospects alive was one of the storylines of the minors, especially in the first half of the season. He logged a 2.17 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 117:30 K:BB in 78.2 innings during a three-level climb from Single-A to Double-A, all as a 19-year-old. The walk rate was a tad high at times, but hitters couldn't do much when they made contact (three HR with a .149 batting average against). His mid-90s fastball and low-80s slider project as plus pitches, while his mid-80s changeup is his best pitch and one of the best changeups in the minors. Pitching prospects often prove that development is not linear, but a first-half MLB debut is possible in 2023 if he picks up where he left off last season.