Former Tennessee Baseball Pitcher Blade Tidwell Turns Heads in MLB Season Debut

Blade Tidwell completes his first career save just hours after being called up to the MLB roster.

Apr 2, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Blade Tidwell (46) throws a pitch against the New York Mets during the seventh inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The Tennessee baseball program has been great in recent years, as they have been able to get their stars into the MLB, which is something some of the programs around the country can't say. The Vols have one of the better draft rates among colleges at this moment, and many of the players who have been selected in the MLB draft from the Tennessee program have been electric for their teams.

While many are still battling their way up to the MLB, others have already made their mark in the big leagues this season. The newest Vol to do so is former Tennessee starting pitcher Blade Tidwell. Tidwell has been one of the stars in the MILB over the last couple of years, but after the San Francisco Giants were dealing with some injuries, he was called up to be a pitcher in the Thursday game and series opener against the New York Mets.

Tidwell was expected to play at some point in the series, but he was able to do so when he was most needed, which was in the final three innings of the contest. Tidwell is someone who has been very reliable in the past for Tony Vitello, and he was just that for Vitello again, as Vitello is the manager for the San Francisco Giants.

Blade Tidwell's Season Debut

Apr 2, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; A waxing gibbous moon rises in the sky as San Francisco Giants pitcher Blade Tidwell (46) throws a pitch against the New York Mets during the eighth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

In Tidwell's season debut, he finished with three innings completed, and he did enough to earn his first career save against a very good lineup. He finished the contest with two strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA. He also only gave up a total of two hits in the outing, which was ridiculous considering this is one of the better lineups in the MLB as a whole. This team has the chance to go win the World Series when they are healthy, and the former Tennessee starter showed that he can work around some great batters, which would come as no shock to Vols fans.

Tidwell has the chance to be a very big contributor for the Giants, as he is one or two more outings like this away from likely being called up permanently. He is just one of the many Tennessee players in the system, as the Giants also await former Tennessee stars Drew Gilbert, Maui Ahuna, and Gavin Kilen to potentially see the field at some point in the next season or two for the Giants. Gilbert is the most likely to be called up, as he finished the season with the Giants last season, but is currently rehabbing an injury before taking on big league pitches.