The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
It may not have gone exactly to plan, but Ricky Tiedemann has made it to The Show.
The left-handed hurler made his major league debut on Saturday afternoon, joining the Toronto Blue Jays to face the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre.
Tiedemann, who will turn 24 on Tuesday, has been a prized prospect in the Blue Jays’ minor league system after being selected in the 3rd Round of the 2021 MLB Draft. The Long Beach native and Lakewood High ace saw his high school career ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which canceled his senior season with the Lancers.
Tiedemann then enrolled at Golden West College, where he had a successful season on the mound to showcase his talents for MLB scouts. He impressed right away as a professional, and represented the Jays at the 2022 MLB All-Star Futures Game at Dodger Stadium, signaling his status as one of the top prospects in the sport.
Arm injuries derailed his development, causing him to miss nearly two full years on the mound. Tiedemann had Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2024, and was able to return to action earlier this year during Spring Training, with the goal of making it to the big leagues.
After missing the entire 2025 season, Tiedemann has pitched in just seven minor league games this year leading up to his MLB debut. He posted a 6.43 ERA in 7.0 innings, striking out 11 batters in that span.
Tiedemann was used out of the bullpen by the Blue Jays, entering Saturday’s game to start the second inning. He worked 1.2 innings of relief, allowing a run on two hits, while also collecting a pair of strikeouts. He ended his first inning of work with his first MLB punchout, getting Austin Wells to chase a nasty sweeper out of the zone.
It’s likely that Tiedemann will remain in a bullpen role for Toronto the rest of the season, and could build up to a starter’s workload for the 2027 season. After spending so much time on the injured list, he’s surely thrilled to be pitching in whatever role he’s given.
Tiedemann joins J.P. Crawford and Travis d’Arnaud as active Lakewood Lancers in the big leagues.
