Blade Tidwell
{{Short description|American baseball player (born 2001)}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
| name = Blade Tidwell
| image = Blade Tidwell pitching, March 15, 2024 - 01-00003 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Tidwell with the Mets in 2024
| team = New York Mets
| number = 40
| position = Pitcher
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|6|8}}
| birth_place = Columbia, Tennessee, U.S.
| bats = Right
| throws = Right
| debutleague = MLB
| debutdate = May 4
| debutyear = 2025
| debutteam = New York Mets
| statleague = MLB
| statyear = May 4, 2025
| stat1label = Win–loss record
| stat1value = 0–1
| stat2label = Earned run average
| stat2value = 14.73
| stat3label = Strikeouts
| stat3value = 2
| teams = * New York Mets ({{mlby|2025}}–present)
}}
Janzen Blade Tidwell (born June 8, 2001) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2025.
Amateur career
Tidwell attended Loretto High School in Loretto, Tennessee, where he played baseball and was teammates with Ryan Weathers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2019/05/10/high-school-baseball-tennessee-mr-baseball-finalists-announced-vanderbilt-auburn-lsu/1165101001/|title=Tennessee Mr. Baseball finalists: 9 SEC recruits, LSU football signee Maurice Hampton included|first=Tom|last=Kreager|date=May 10, 2019|website=The Tennessean}}{{cite web | last=Joyce | first=Cecil | last2=Kreager | first2=Tom | last3=Torres | first3=Aaron | last4=Odom | first4=Michael | last5=Thompson | first5=Khari | last6=Robinson | first6=George | title=Spring Fling 2019: State tournament story lines | website=The Tennessean | date=2019-05-20 | url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/high-school/2019/05/20/spring-fling-2019-state-tournament-storylines/3735848002/ | access-date=2024-11-04}} In 2019, his junior year, he was named Tennessee Mr. Baseball after going 8–0 with 107 strikeouts alongside batting .557.{{Cite web|url=https://www.columbiadailyherald.com/story/sports/high-school/2019/05/21/mustangs-8217-dominance-continues/5096686007/|title=Mustangs' dominance continues|first=Maurice|last=Patton|date=May 21, 2019|website=Daily Herald}} He played only one game during his senior season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesdaily.com/sports/loretto-grad-and-tennessee-signee-blade-tidwell-keeps-eye-on-mlb-draft/article_a94ab6fd-2cab-5dc1-a5b8-31e8a2a472dd.html|title=Loretto grad and Tennessee signee Blade Tidwell keeps eye on MLB draft|first=Craig|last=Thomas|date=June 10, 2020|website=TimesDaily}}
In 2021, as a freshman for the Tennessee Volunteers baseball team, Tidwell was inserted into their starting rotation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesdaily.com/sports/high_school/lorettos-blade-tidwell-eager-for-college-world-series-experience-with-tennessee-baseball/article_494ebd99-dbee-574a-95ac-c53f03bf21b1.html|title=Loretto's Blade Tidwell eager for College World Series experience with Tennessee baseball|first=Craig|last=Thomas|date=June 17, 2021|website=TimesDaily}} He finished his freshman season starting 18 games and going 10–3 with a 3.74 ERA and ninety strikeouts over {{fraction|98|2|3}} innings.{{Cite web|url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/other-sports/2021/10/04/tennessee-baseball-tony-vitello-fall-ball-evan-russell-catcher/5855646001/|title=What to know about Tennessee baseball at the start of fall ball|first=Mike|last=Wilson|date=October 4, 2021|website=Knoxville News Sentinel}} He was named to the USA Baseball National Collegiate Team after the season alongside teammate Drew Gilbert.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wjhl.com/sports/tennessees-drew-gilbert-blade-tidwell-showcasing-skills-with-college-national-team/|title=Tennessee's Drew Gilbert, Blade Tidwell showcasing skills with College National Team|first=Jesse|last=Krull|date=July 13, 2021|website=WJHL-TV}} Tidwell entered the 2022 season as a preseason All-American and a top prospect for the upcoming draft.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wbir.com/article/sports/baseball/two-tennessee-players-named-preseason-all-americans-by-baseball-america/51-40ae4b05-bf40-44cf-a593-0509bb1bd0e6|title=Two Tennessee players named preseason All-Americans by Baseball America|first=Karthik|last=Venkataraman|date=January 31, 2022|website=WBIR-TV}} He missed the beginning of the season dealing with shoulder soreness.{{Cite web|url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/other-sports/2022/01/27/tennessee-baseball-blade-tidwell-injury-seth-halvorsen/9244989002/|title=Tennessee baseball ace Blade Tidwell sidelined with shoulder soreness|first=Mike|last=Wilson|date=January 28, 2022|website=Knoxville News Sentinel}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/2022-mlb-draft-prospect-blade-tidwell-to-miss-start-of-season-as-pitching-class-suffers-another-injury/|title=2022 MLB Draft prospect Blade Tidwell to miss start of season as pitching class suffers another injury|first=RJ|last=Anderson|date=January 30, 2022|website=CBS Sports}} After missing Tennessee's first 24 games, he made his season debut in late March, pitching one inning in relief.{{Cite web|url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/other-sports/2022/03/31/blade-tidwell-returns-tennessee-baseball-western-carolina-injury-health/7186214001/|title=What is Blade Tidwell's role for Tennessee baseball after debut against Western Carolina?|first=Mike|last=Wilson|date=March 31, 2022|website=Knoxville News Sentinel}} He made his first start of the season on April 5 in a 5–1 win versus Lipscomb.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wjhl.com/sports/all-american-blade-tidwell-makes-his-starting-debut-in-vols-20th-straight-win/|title=All-American Blade Tidwell makes his starting debut in Vols 20th-straight win|date=April 6, 2022|website=WJHL-TV}} He finished the season having appeared in 13 games (making nine starts), going 3–2 with a 3.00 ERA and 51 strikeouts over 39 innings.{{cite web | url=https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-tennessee-baseball-blade-tidwell-131800312.html | title=2022 Tennessee baseball: Blade Tidwell by the numbers|website=Sports.yahoo.com | date=19 June 2022}}
Professional career
Tidwell was selected by the New York Mets in the second round with the 52nd overall selection of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft.{{cite web | url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/mets-blade-tidwell-scooped-by-mets/ | title=Mets' Blade Tidwell: Scooped by Mets |website=Cbssports.com| date=18 July 2022 }} He signed with the team for $1.8 million.{{Cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/tennessee-players-signed-contracts-following-170554010.html|title=Tennessee players who signed contracts following 2022 MLB draft|website=Sports.yahoo.com|date=27 July 2022 |access-date=28 July 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mets-2022-draft-signings-tracker|title=Mets agree with Tidwell, Morabito, Reimer|website=MLB.com|access-date=28 July 2022}}
Tidwell made his professional debut with the rookie-level Florida Complex League Mets and was promoted to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets after one game.{{cite web | last=Harralson | first=Dan | title=Blade Tidwell assigned to St. Lucie | website=Vols Wire|publisher=USA Today | date=2022-08-21 | url=https://volswire.usatoday.com/2022/08/21/pitcher-blade-tidwell-assigned-to-st-lucie-mets/ | access-date=2024-11-04}} Over {{fraction|9|1|3}} innings pitched for the season, he went 0–1 with a 1.93 ERA, 11 strikeouts, and seven walks.{{cite web | url=https://www.milb.com/player/blade-tidwell-694918 | title=Blade Tidwell Stats, Fantasy & News }} Tidwell was assigned to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones to begin the 2023 season.{{cite web | title=Mets' Blade Tidwell: Promoted to High-A for 2023 | website=CBSSports.com | date=2023-03-28 | url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/mets-blade-tidwell-promoted-to-high-a-for-2023/amp/ | access-date=2024-11-04}} In late June, he was promoted to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies.{{cite web | title=Mets' Blade Tidwell: Moving to Double-A | website=CBSSports.com | date=2023-07-30 | url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/mets-blade-tidwell-moving-to-double-a/ | access-date=2024-11-04}} Over 25 starts, Tidwell went 11–6 with a 3.57 ERA and 153 strikeouts over 116 innings.{{cite web | last=DeMayo | first=Joe | title=Deep Dive on Blade Tidwell, who has stuff and swagger of front-line starter | website=SNY | date=2023-09-22 | url=https://sny.tv/articles/mets-blade-tidwell-deep-dive-swagger-front-line-starter | access-date=2024-11-04}}
To open the 2024 season, Tidwell was assigned to Binghamton. In mid-May, he was promoted to the Syracuse Mets.https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/mets-blade-tidwell-promoted-to-triple-a/ Over 26 games (22 starts) between the two teams, he posted a 3–13 record with a 4.86 ERA and 121 strikeouts over {{fraction|122|1|3}} innings.https://sny.tv/articles/mets-blade-tidwell-riding-wave-spring-training He was assigned to Syracuse to open the 2025 season.https://www.milb.com/syracuse/news/syracuse-opens-2025-season-with-4-3-win-over-worcester-on-friday
On May 2, 2025, Tidwell was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/mets-promote-blade-tidwell-pitching-prospect.html He made his major league debut on May 4 in a start against the St. Louis Cardinals. Tidwell allowed six earned runs before being pulled from the game during the 4th inning.{{cite news |last1=Tredinnick |first1=Andrew |title=Mets' Blade Tidwell knocked around, exits early against Cardinals in MLB debut |url=https://www.recordonline.com/story/sports/mlb/mets/2025/05/04/ny-mets-blade-tidwell-tagged-by-cardinals-exits-early-in-mlb-debut/83413274007/ |access-date=5 May 2025 |work=Times Herald-Record |publisher=NorthJersey.com |date=May 4, 2025}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{baseballstats|mlb=694918|br=t/tidwebl01|fangraphs=31701|brm=tidwel000bla}}
- [https://utsports.com/sports/baseball/roster/blade-tidwell/13676 Tennessee Volunteers bio]
{{New York Mets roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tidwell, Blade}}
Category:Baseball players from Tennessee
Category:Binghamton Rumble Ponies players
Category:Brooklyn Cyclones players
Category:Florida Complex League Mets players
Category:Major League Baseball pitchers
Category:New York Mets players
Category:Sportspeople from Columbia, Tennessee
Category:St. Lucie Mets players
Category:Syracuse Mets players
Category:Tennessee Volunteers baseball players