Thiebaud works from a true sidearm slot and leans heavily on his sinker as his primary weapon — and for good reason. Sitting 90–94 with 18.7 inches of horizontal break, it is an above-average pitch that plays against both right-handed and left-handed hitters due to the extreme angle and lateral movement generated by his arm slot. He uses it nearly 80% of the time, and the results back it up — he induced ground balls at an 80% rate in the Prospect League, a number that is not a rounding error, it is a profile.

His slider at 2,294 RPMs breaks the opposite direction of his sinker, creating a true two-way tunnel that gives hitters a completely different problem to solve. It is his primary swing-and-miss offering. His changeup, when it is on, dives off the table and functions as an effective third pitch against hitters who have locked in on the sinker.

The sidearm slot itself is Thiebaud’s first weapon. The release point creates inherent deception that does not require additional movement or velocity to be effective — the angle does the work. His delivery is repeatable, which is why his command profile holds up and why the ground ball rate is so consistent. The slot is not a gimmick; it is a legitimate pitching identity.

Thiebaud is already a functional, effective pitcher at the JUCO level with a defined identity and a carrying pitch. The development question is straightforward — if he can elevate either the slider or the changeup into a consistent swing-and-miss offering to pair with the sinker, the profile becomes significantly more dangerous. The groundball rate and horizontal movement are already special.

The secondary development is what separates a quality reliever from a pitcher with a real ceiling at the next level. Finding out how high the ceiling goes is worth chasing.