Blue Jays swing big with 20th pick, bet on 17-year-old Nimmala’s upside

Baseball

Published 09.07.2023

Blue Jays swing big with 20th pick, bet on 17-year-old Nimmala’s upside

SEATTLE – There is volatility inherent to each decide within the baseball draft, normally extra so for highschool gamers than collegians, for youthful gamers than older ones, which is why the Toronto Blue Jays’ number of prep shortstop Arjun Nimmala at No. 20 general is so intriguing.

At 17, he’s one of many youngest gamers eligible this 12 months, which may layer in one other factor of variance on the spectrum of chance for the product of Strawberry Crest High School simply outdoors of Tampa.

But Nimmala’s proximity to the membership’s Player Development Complex in Dunedin, Fla., meant the workforce’s scouts might collect a deep quantity of appears to be like at his at-bats. They met with him 3 times, in the summertime, fall and spring, and he visited the membership’s facility. They have been capable of carefully monitor how “as he’s added strength to his wiry frame (and) his tools have taken a jump,” as Baseball America wrote in its scouting report on him.

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And these instruments bought them on taking a giant swing with their first-round decide, a variety made all of the extra necessary this 12 months as a result of the Blue Jays forfeited their second-rounder for the free-agent signing of Chris Bassitt.

Impact gamers normally come early within the draft, this was their finest probability to get one and quite than taking part in it secure, they swung large.

“It’s just the overall tool package combined with the age and overall upside of the player,” Blue Jays newbie scouting director Shane Farrell stated shortly after making the choice. “The power, the arm strength, the actions defensively, playing at a premium position, that all makes him a really exciting player and somebody I’m really, really happy to get into the farm system.”

While signability is usually a concern with prep gamers, that doesn’t sound like will probably be an issue with Nimmala, a Florida State commit. Farrell stated merely that, “we feel pretty good, we’ve built a strong relationship with Arjun and we’re excited to get him to Dunedin,” a robust indicator either side perceive what an settlement goes to appear like.

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Nimmala, projected as a chance for a number of groups within the 10-20 vary, wasn’t a lock to get to them, however a primary spherical that didn’t break to projections began proper at 1-1, when the Pittsburgh Pirates, linked to Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford, ended up taking Louisiana State right-hander Paul Skenes, and that reverberated all the best way down.

“There’s all the time some adjusting because the draft goes alongside as gamers and signability is altering all through the spherical,” stated Farrell. “We were prepared and in a good position to make the pick.”

Adding to the curiosity round Nimmala is his compelling backstory and his objective of turning into the primary participant of Indian descent to achieve the majors, having performed a number of cricket throughout his youthful years on household journeys to go to kinfolk in Vijayawada, a metropolis within the nation’s south-east.

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The Blue Jays, after all, are fascinated by his capability on a baseball subject, and entrance and centre is what Baseball America described as “shockingly good raw power” he confirmed “throughout the summer in batting practice for a player of his current size and physicality, with quick-twitch hands and a whippy bat that allow him to make impressive impact now, with plus raw power a possibility as he fills out.”

Given his age, that will take time to completely present via and the truth that he’ll be practically a 12 months youthful than a few of his fellow draftees “is really something we have to keep in mind throughout his development path,” stated Farrell.

“He’s going to be a little bit behind in terms of maturity than others he’s going to be walking into this draft class with. It’s going to be something we’ll have to consider as far as physical development and things like that. But we don’t foresee any challenges.”

Farrell urged that Nimmala might begin within the Florida Complex League as soon as he indicators and the work then will start for a participant with large targets, and a workforce needing extra potential affect like his in its farm system.