In Focus - Blade Tidwell

 

Thomas Nestico                 @TJStats

Blade Tidwell started his AAA season on a high note as he registered 5 K in 5.0 IP with 1 ER

The Mets pitching prospect struggled last season, but his stuff and command looked better this Spring. It seems to have carried into the regular season!

Pitch Profiler                      @pitchprofiler

Blade Tidwell sliced through the Worcester Red Sox like a hot knife through butter today, racking up five strikeouts in five innings!

With stuff like that, it's easy to see why Blade is so highly regarded in the Mets organization!

Mack  -

What can I say?

The only Mets minor leaguer that needed a better start of the season than Brandon Sproat was this guy. And boy, did he come through.

It came against a prospect filled Worcester, headed by baseball’s top prospect Roman Anthony.

His line?       5 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 62 pitches/41 strikes

The fastball was up to 98 mph, and ended in the fifth at 97. That’s big for Tidwell, who had the tendency to not hold his velo past the third or fourth inning.

Most important was his lack of issuing walks. Last season, for combined AA/AAA, he gave up 64 in 122.1-IP (1.41-WHIP). That’s around one for every two innings pitched. Yesterday… one in five.

I mean, one inning, three strikeouts:

#2 prospect Marcelo Mayer —swinging on changeup

Almost top prospect Trayce Thompson—called 98 fastball

Ex-Braves Vaughn Grissom—swinging 97 fastball

Sure, it’s only one game, but I can’t tell you how many times I made excuses last season for someone that I told all of you was going to be a Mets ace.

I’m so happy.