Toronto selected Nimmala with the 20th overall pick in the first round of this year’s draft.
Strawberry Crest shortstop Arjun Nimmala was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 20th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft on Sunday.
“I can’t put into words how excited I am,” Nimmala said after his selection. “Having all of my supporters around me is a big deal for me and I’m just excited to get a pro career going… I know that the Blue Jays are a prestigious organization with a lot of accolades. I can’t wait to play with them, they’re a great organization.”
At just 17 years old, Nimmala is one of the youngest players in this year’s draft and became the first player of full Indian descent to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft. As a senior with the Chargers this past spring, he hit .479 with six home runs, seven doubles, three triples and 29 runs batted in with nine stolen bases across 25 games. Praised by scouts for his raw power, projectability and high ceiling as he measures in at 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, the Blue Jays director of scouting Shane Farrell spoke about what the organization saw in Nimmala.
“The power, the arm strength, the actions defensively, playing at a premium position, that all makes him a really exciting player and someone that I’m really excited to get into the farm system,” Farrell said on Monday. “We built a strong relationship with Arjun and we’re excited to get him to Dunedin, it’s a short drive for him so we’re excited to get him on campus. For Arjun it’s really combining the age, the power and the physical projection that we’re seeing. We think he’s going to fill out and be a strong and mature individual, that his power is going to continue to grow and continue to translate to game production as well.”
If – or more appropriately, when – Nimmala officially signs his new contract with Toronto, his next step will be to report to the Blue Jays’ Player Development Complex in Dunedin, less than 40 miles west of where he played his high school ball.
