Brewers 2022 MLB Draft Prospect Profile: Tennessee RHP Blade Tidwell

To help prepare you for the 2022 MLB Draft, here at Reviewing the Brew we are profiling draft prospects that could be fits for the Milwaukee Brewers. Today, we’re going to look at Tennessee RHP Blade Tidwell.

You can never have enough pitching. The Brewers have a strong pitching development program and the next big pitching prospect Milwaukee produces very well could be Volunteers ace Blade Tidwell.

Tidwell was the Friday night starter for the top team in college baseball and he played a major role in their success. He finished with 39 IP on the year with an even 3.00 ERA.

If Tennessee RHP Blade Tidwell is available in the 2022 MLB Draft, should the Milwaukee Brewers select him?

MLB Pipeline has Tidwell as the 27th ranked prospect in this year’s class, and the Milwaukee Brewers conveniently have the 27th overall pick. So the value for this selection is certainly there.

Tidwell has a full four pitch mix, led by a plus fastball that sits mid-90s and can reach 99 MPH, and a plus sweeping slider. A curveball and changeup round out his arsenal. His command could use some improvement as he goes through the ranks, but that’s not uncommon for pitching prospects with his kind of stuff.

Early in the season, Tidwell was dealing with a shoulder injury and missed the first few weeks, but he came back and pitched well down the stretch, although his innings count wasn’t as high as it otherwise would’ve been. Still, in those 39 IP, he struck out 51 and walked just 11.

He’s fully healthy now, so the shoulder is no longer a concern. A number of other college pitching prospects this year suffered far more major injuries and were out for the rest of the season. That allows Tidwell to bump up in the rankings a bit further.

There’s a lot to like with Tidwell’s profile. He has the size (6’4″, 207 lbs), durability, and pitch arsenal to remain a starter long term. If the Brewers can harness that upper 90s fastball and help him command it, there’s a lot of upside to be had here.

If he’s available with the 27th overall pick, and there’s a solid chance he is, he would be a great selection for the Brewers. Historically, he fits the mold of the type of players they like and they have the ability to help him develop what he needs in order to be successful at the next level.

You can never have enough pitching, and with the traits Tidwell has, he’d make an excellent addition to the Brewers farm system.