The New York Mets dropped their Grapefruit League matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-4, on Monday. It was one of those games where the pitching staff just couldn’t keep the opposition in check, and the scoreboard reflected it.
A Rough Outing on Paper for Blade Tidwell
Young right-hander Blade Tidwell took the mound, but if you only looked at the box score, you’d think he had a game to forget. In just two innings, he surrendered three runs on four hits, including a home run, while issuing a walk and recording only one strikeout. That’s not exactly the stat line you want from a pitcher trying to prove himself.
Despite the uninspiring results, there were reasons for optimism. Baseball researcher Thomas Nestico broke it down in a way that should make Mets fans feel a little better about Tidwell’s performance.
Blade Tidwell didn’t have a great start, but his pitch metrics looked phenomenal today!
His velocity was up +2 MPH and his cutter showed a ton of life. This is the stuff you want to see! pic.twitter.com/EUbG3fSCBb
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) February 24, 2025
“Blade Tidwell didn’t have a great start, but his pitch metrics looked phenomenal today! His velocity was up +2 MPH and his cutter showed a ton of life. This is the stuff you want to see!” Nestico shared via X.
That two-mph increase is no small detail. Tidwell typically hovers around 94-95 mph with his four-seamer, but on Monday, he averaged 96.3 mph. That kind of uptick can make all the difference when it comes to missing bats. Even though he only generated three whiffs, the raw stuff graded out positively, meaning the potential is there if he can harness it properly.
The Road to the Bigs
Tidwell’s journey in 2024 was been a tale of two levels. In Double-A last season, he dominated with a 2.41 ERA over 37.1 innings, flashing both command and strikeout ability. But when he made the jump to Triple-A Syracuse, things got messy. An ERA of 5.93 across 85 innings, coupled with a concerning 13.7% walk rate, highlighted the growing pains that often come with facing more disciplined hitters.
For Tidwell, the challenge is clear—command the strike zone better and prove he can handle Triple-A hitters. If he does, a ticket to Queens won’t be far off. Monday’s outing might not have looked pretty, but underneath the surface, the foundation for something special is being built.