Mets prospect is making his case to land on future top 100 lists

The New York Mets have failed to find positive consistency in their starting rotation this season. Frequently, Mets pitchers have allowed too many free passes which results in a 5 inning or less performance. The collateral effect has been on their bullpen as they have been stretched to the limit before midseason. As a result, the Mets find themselves in the National League's cellar.

On the bright side, the Mets have help coming in the minor leagues. Christian Scott has held a low walk rate and has pitched deep into games on multiple occasions now. When his control is right, Jose Butto has proven he can pitch 6 or more innings per start. Tylor Megill also impressed in his return to Citi Field, throwing 7 shutout innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. Furthermore, there is another starting pitcher in AAA deserving of accolades for his recent performance as well.

Blade Tidwell will become a top 100 prospect

23-year-old right-hander Blade Tidwell is turning heads across minor league baseball this season. Selected in the second round of the 2022 draft, Tidwell always had a great arsenal pitching at the University of Tennessee. His fastball rides at 98 MPH with induced vertical break high in the strike zone. Coupled with a low 80s sweeper that has an immense vertical break, Tidwell has drawn many swings and misses in 2024.

At the season's start, Tidwell found himself back in AA Binghamton. Eager to prove himself AAA-ready, the right-hander was lights out through his first 5 starts. He allowed just 10 earned runs in 37.1 innings pitched with 44 strikeouts. Tidwell's most impressive performance came on May 5th, as he threw 8 shutout innings against the Hartford Yard Goats.

As a result of this hot start, Tidwell was promoted to AAA Syracuse in mid-May. Normally, there is an adjustment period for young pitchers as they adapt to the increased competition and new ABS. This has hurt both Dominic Hamel and Mike Vasil as they each hold ERA's north of 7.00.

However, Tidwell has been even better pitching at NBT Bank Stadium. In his first start last week, Tidwell allowed just 2 runs and 3 hits in 5.2 innings pitched against the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Rail Riders. To follow this up, the 24-year-old threw 6 shutout innings against the Buffalo Bisons on Wednesday. Suffice it to say, that Tidwell is keeping AAA batters off balance in a short sample size.

The only aspect of Tidwell's arsenal holding him back is his walk rate. He gave up 8 free passes across both starts at AAA Syracuse. For reasons unknown to the fans, the Mets' entire organization is walking batters at an unfathomable rate. Before considering Tidwell, or any young pitching prospect major league ready, they have to throw strikes in the minor leagues first. Aside from the command issues, Tidwell should be a top 100 prospect on MLB Pipeline's June edition.