Blade Tidwell Bio
Janzen Blade Tidwell, known professionally as Blade Tidwell, is an American professional baseball pitcher. Born on June 8, 2001, he currently plays for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB), wearing jersey number 46. He previously played in MLB for the New York Mets, the organization that originally drafted him in 2022 and with which he made his major league debut in 2025.
A right-handed starter developed in the college ranks at the University of Tennessee, Tidwell rose quickly through amateur baseball, earning statewide recognition in high school before becoming one of the top collegiate prospects in the country. His path through the minor leagues included stops at the High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A levels before he reached the majors at age 23.
Early Life and Background
Blade Tidwell grew up in Tennessee and attended Loretto High School in Loretto, where he starred on the baseball team. During his time at Loretto, he was teammates with fellow future professional pitcher Ryan Weathers, an experience that helped shape his early understanding of competitive baseball at a high level.
In 2019, his junior year, Tidwell put together one of the most dominant high school seasons in Tennessee history. He went 8–0 on the mound with 107 strikeouts and also batted .557, a two-way performance that earned him the Tennessee Mr. Baseball award. The following year, his senior season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited him to just one game.
Despite the shortened senior campaign, his junior-year performance made him one of the most sought-after high school arms in the country, and he chose to continue his career at the University of Tennessee.
Path to Baseball
Tidwell enrolled at the University of Tennessee and joined the Tennessee Volunteers baseball program, where he was quickly inserted into the starting rotation as a freshman in 2021. He made an immediate impact, starting 18 games and finishing the year 10–3 with a 3.74 ERA and 90 strikeouts over 98 and two-thirds innings. His freshman success placed him on the national radar and led to a selection to the USA Baseball National Collegiate Team alongside teammate Drew Gilbert.
Heading into the 2022 season, Tidwell was regarded as a preseason All-American and one of the top draft prospects in college baseball. Shoulder soreness kept him out of Tennessee’s first 24 games, but he returned in late March and made his first start of the season on April 5 in a 5–1 win over Lipscomb. He finished the year appearing in 13 games with nine starts, posting a 3–2 record, a 3.00 ERA, and 51 strikeouts over 39 innings.
Blade Tidwell Career
Draft and Minor Leagues (2022–2025)
The New York Mets selected Tidwell in the second round with the 52nd overall pick of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the organization for $1.8 million and began his professional career that summer, making his debut with the rookie-level Florida Complex League Mets. After one appearance he was promoted to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets, finishing his first professional season with a 0–1 record, a 1.93 ERA, 11 strikeouts, and seven walks over nine and one-third innings.
He opened 2023 with the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones and was promoted in late June to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies. Across 25 starts that year, he went 11–6 with a 3.57 ERA and 153 strikeouts over 116 innings, establishing himself as one of the Mets’ top pitching prospects. He returned to Binghamton to start 2024 and earned a mid-May promotion to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, but struggled at the higher level, going 3–13 with a 4.86 ERA and 121 strikeouts over 122 and one-third innings across 26 games and 22 starts.
New York Mets (2025)
Tidwell began 2025 back at Triple-A Syracuse, where he pitched in 17 games and went 6–4 with a 4.10 ERA. On May 2, 2025, the Mets added him to the 40-man roster and promoted him to the major leagues for the first time. He made his MLB debut on May 4 in a start against the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing six earned runs on nine hits and three walks with two strikeouts before being removed during the fourth inning.
On July 2, 2025, Tidwell earned his first career victory against the Milwaukee Brewers, allowing three runs and striking out three in four and one-third innings. In total, he made four appearances, including two starts, for the Mets, going 1–1 with a 9.00 ERA, 10 strikeouts, and 10 walks across 15 innings.
San Francisco Giants (2025–Present)
On July 30, 2025, the Mets traded Tidwell, Drew Gilbert, and José Buttó to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for pitcher Tyler Rogers. The Giants initially assigned him to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, where he posted a 1.50 ERA over 18 innings. A right shoulder injury placed him on the injured list on August 21, and he was activated on September 17.
Tidwell was optioned to Sacramento to open the 2026 season and was recalled by the Giants on April 2, 2026, after Buttó landed on the 15-day injured list. Through early April 2026, he had logged a 1–1 record, a 7.50 ERA, and 12 strikeouts for San Francisco.
Notable Events and Milestones
Tidwell’s biggest milestones include being named Tennessee Mr. Baseball in 2019, representing the United States with the USA Baseball National Collegiate Team after his freshman year, and being selected 52nd overall in the 2022 MLB draft. He earned his first major league win on July 2, 2025, against the Brewers, and was traded to the Giants later that same month as part of a deal headlined by Tyler Rogers.
Blade Tidwell Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Tidwell grew up in Loretto, Tennessee, and was raised in a region with a strong baseball tradition. His high school connection with Ryan Weathers at Loretto High School gave him an early environment shaped by serious competitive baseball.
Public information about his immediate family and personal relationships is limited, and additional details about his parents, partner, or residence have not been publicly confirmed.
2025 Season Performance
Tidwell’s 2025 season was defined by a major league debut, a first career victory, and a midseason trade. He opened the year at Triple-A Syracuse, where he went 6–4 with a 4.10 ERA in 17 appearances, earning a promotion to the Mets in early May. His first four big-league outings produced mixed results, but the July 2 win over Milwaukee marked a turning point in his development.
Less than a month later, Tidwell was dealt to the Giants as part of a package that brought Tyler Rogers to New York. With the Sacramento River Cats, he thrived to the tune of a 1.50 ERA over 18 innings before a shoulder injury briefly paused his progress. Returning healthy in September, he set the stage for his 2026 return to the majors.