Janzen Blade Tidwell (born June 8, 2001) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Mets. He made his MLB debut in 2025.
Tidwell attended Loretto High School in Loretto, Tennessee, where he played baseball and was teammates with Ryan Weathers. In 2019, his junior year, he was named Tennessee Mr. Baseball after going 8âÂÂ0 with 107 strikeouts alongside batting .557. He played only one game during his senior season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, as a freshman for the Tennessee Volunteers baseball team, Tidwell was inserted into their starting rotation. He finished his freshman season starting 18 games and going 10âÂÂ3 with a 3.74 ERA and ninety strikeouts over innings. He was named to the USA Baseball National Collegiate Team after the season alongside teammate Drew Gilbert. Tidwell entered the 2022 season as a preseason All-American and a top prospect for the upcoming draft. He missed the beginning of the season dealing with shoulder soreness. After missing Tennessee's first 24 games, he made his season debut in late March, pitching one inning in relief. He made his first start of the season on April 5 in a 5âÂÂ1 win versus Lipscomb. He finished the season having appeared in 13 games (making nine starts), going 3âÂÂ2 with a 3.00 ERA and 51 strikeouts over 39 innings.
The New York Mets selected Tidwell in the second round with the 52nd overall selection of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the team for $1.8 million.
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. Over innings pitched for the season, he went 0âÂÂ1 with a 1.93 ERA, 11 strikeouts, and seven walks. Tidwell was assigned to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones to begin the 2023 season. In late June, he was promoted to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies. Over 25 starts, Tidwell went 11âÂÂ6 with a 3.57 ERA and 153 strikeouts over 116 innings.
To open the 2024 season, Tidwell was assigned to Binghamton. In mid-May, he was promoted to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets. Over 26 games (22 starts) between the two teams, he posted a 3âÂÂ13 record with a 4.86 ERA and 121 strikeouts over innings. He was assigned to Syracuse to open the 2025 season. Tidwell pitched in 17 games for Syracuse during the season and went 6-4 with a 4.10 ERA.
On May 2, 2025, Tidwell was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his major league debut on May 4 in a start against the St. Louis Cardinals. Tidwell allowed six earned runs on nine hits and three walks, alongside two strikeouts, before being pulled from the game during the fourth inning. On July 2, Tidwell earned his first career victory after allowing three runs and recording three strikeouts in innings against the Milwaukee Brewers. Tidwell made four appearances (two starts) for the Mets and pitched to a 1-1 record, a 9.00 ERA, 10 strikeouts and 10 walks across 15 innings.
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 assigned Tidwell to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, with whom he had a 1.50 ERA over 18 innings. He was placed on the injured list with a right shoulder injury on August 21 and activated September 17.
Tidwell was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento to open the 2026 season.