Blade Tidwell got his feet wet Sunday, but before long he was soaked. The right-hander, in his major league debut, flashed 97 mph heat for the Mets and largely avoided hard contact. That didn’t stop the Cardinals from putting the ball in play to spoil his afternoon.

On a warm Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium, New York Mets pitcher Blade Tidwell stepped across that threshold. Due to some shoulder issues, Tidwell—who was projected to be a top pick in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft—was ultimately selected in the second round by the Mets,

Tidwell is the eighth player from the Tony Vitello era to reach the major leagues. He is the second to do so this season, joining Colorado Rockies pitcher Chase Dollander. Tidwell was picked in the second round and No. 52 overall by the Mets in the 2022 MLB Draft.