Blade Tidwell’s Immaculate Inning Punctuates Superb Apperance

Blade Tidwell didn’t do what you think he did — but he also did.

One of New York’s top pitching prospects struck out five batters over two innings in the Nee York Mets’ 10-2 spring training win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. And in the process, he put together an immaculate inning.

There was some debate as to whether all nine strikes were swinging. It turns out they weren’t. But semantics aside, Tidwell overpowered a trio of likely Opening Day roster players in Josh Lowe, Eloy Jiménez, and Jose Caballero. In the process, these three veteran major leaguers looked downright foolish.

Tidwell’s raw stuff has never been in question. That’s part of why the former second-round pick out of Tennessee has risen quickly through the Mets’ system. The issue? Control.

Due to his command struggles, some evaluators see Tidwell as a future reliever rather than a starter. But whatever role he ultimately settles into, one thing is clear: he can miss big-league bats, and do it in just nine pitches.

We’re still a month away from Opening Day, and as usual, pitchers seem ahead of hitters. But mowing down three big leaguers in a row, in any setting, is worth a tip of the cap. Spring training or not, Tidwell is a young arm with something to prove.

There’s still work to be done for all the flashes of dominance. Tidwell’s first spring start against the Cardinals wasn’t as clean. His stuff looked electric, but his command wavered, and Luken Baker punished a mistake by launching a three-run homer deep into the Jupiter mist.

That’s been the story of Tidwell’s ascent. He dominated Double-A Binghamton but got a reality check in Triple-A Syracuse. Across 17 starts, he posted a 5.93 ERA over 85 innings, walking 53 batters, just 10 fewer than he did in all of 2023 combined. Triple-A is notoriously unforgiving, but Tidwell didn’t just struggle. He got humbled.

The Mets have also gotten humbled in spring training, already losing two starters: Frankie Montas (high-grade right lat strain) and Sean Manaea (oblique) in the early days of camp in the Port St. Lucie backfields. And because of those aforementioned injuries, the Mets’ rotation depth has already raised some concerns. If Tidwell has truly refined his arsenal, he could be a difference-maker this season. The control issues are real, but so is the upside.

Throw him into the mix with fellow top pitching prospect Brandon Sproat, and suddenly, the Mets have some young arms worth something. The question isn’t whether Tidwell can get big-league hitters out, Saturday answered that. The real test will be whether he can do it consistently.

Saturday’s outing was a glimpse of the best version of Tidwell; you know, the one who can overwhelm big league hitters with pure stuff. Nine pitches, three strikeouts, no chance for the hitters. It didn’t erase his past struggles but showed exactly why the Mets still believe in his upside. If he can harness that dominance more often, his role in New York’s 2025 plans could look a lot bigger than anticipated.

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