Blue Jays Make Bet On Growing Power With 2023 1st-Round Pick
The Blue Jays made a splash in Seattle.
Toronto selected shortstop Arjun Nimmala with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft on Sunday night. By selecting one of the class' youngest players, the Jays made a bet on growing power and high potential.
“Combining the age, power, and physical projection ... we think he’s gonna fill out and be a strong and mature individual," Toronto's Director of Amateur Scouting Shane Farrell said. "And that power is gonna continue to grow and translate to game production."
Still 17 years old on draft day, the Strawberry Crest High School product has an aggressive approach at the plate, but balanced out the swing-and-miss with growing power potential. In his senior high school season, the shortstop hit .479 in 25 games, posting a .573 OBP with 29 RBI. Nimmala also possesses both the arm and range needed to hold down a key defensive position at the big league level, with most pre-draft reports projecting him as a long-term shortstop.
Baseball America's pre-draft ranking slotted Nimmala in at 17th while MLB Pipeline's ranking had him 11th in the class.
Though some mock drafts had the high school prospect coming off the board earlier than 20, the Jays "feel pretty good" about the organization's chances of signing their first-round pick. The team and prospect have a "strong relationship," Farrell said, and Nimmala has been around Toronto's Player Development Complex multiple times before the draft process.
When signed, Nimmala will immediately step into the top of a Blue Jays farm system headlined by pitchers Ricky Tiedemann, Brandon Barriera, and Orelvis Martinez. The Jays needed more upside in the system, having traded three of their last five first rounds picks (Jordan Groshans, Austin Martin, Gunnar Hoglund) to add to the MLB roster.
Mitch Bannon is a baseball reporter for Sports Illustrated covering the Toronto Blue Jays and their minor league affiliates.Twitter: @MitchBannon