TORONTO — As soon as Arjun Nimmala arrived in Toronto, he knew he belonged with the Blue Jays.
The 17-year-old shortstop was picked 20th overall by the Blue Jays at Major League Baseball's amateur draft on July 9. He visited Toronto this past weekend to tour Rogers Centre, meet his the club's front office, and finalize his first-ever professional baseball contract, which was made official on Monday.
"The experience was surreal. I couldn't have scripted it a better way," Nimmala said in a video conference on Wednesday from Dunedin, Fla., as he visited the Blue Jays' minor-league complex. "All the guys, the coaches, (team president) Mark Shapiro, (general manager) Ross Atkins, they were super kind and they welcomed me with open arms.
"Just being there and seeing the atmosphere in Toronto, it hooked me, y'know?"
Nimmala's visit to Toronto was the first time he met with Atkins in person and the new Blue Jays prospect made a great first impression on the GM.
"It was clear that he was very comfortable, appropriately comfortable, very respectful," said Atkins, comparing Nimmala's composure to Blue Jays players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio, who grew up in MLB ballparks as the sons of big-league players. "He seems to have all of the foundation for what's ahead of him, all the challenges that are ahead of him and the talent is clear.
"We were as excited as we could be, but then taking another step and having that experience with him here in Toronto was exceptional for me."
Nimmala spent the past four seasons playing at Strawberry Crest High School in Dover, Fla. The six-foot-one, 170-pound Tampa native finished the 2023 high school season with 35 hits and 29 runs batted in across 25 games.
He hit .382 with 22 doubles, three triples, and nine home runs across 77 career games at the high school level.
Atkins said that Nimmala's distinctive swing distinguished him during the scouting process.
"The high finish that has a little bit of an abruptness to it at the end has some unique nature to it," said Atkins. "I think there's some other players — I'm not comparing him to these guys — but Julio Rodriguez, Mookie Betts, have a little bit of a higher finish with a little bit more of an abrupt finish.
"The most unique thing to me is how quick and powerful it is."
Nimmala is the highest drafted person of Indian descent in any of North America's four major sports. No Indian American has ever played in an MLB game.
He said that he's eager to connect with the sizable South Asian community in the Greater Toronto Area when he makes the Blue Jays' major-league roster.
"It's going to be a good starting point for my career, having that support behind me," said Nimmala, whose parents Balu and Neeru emigrated from India to Florida in the early 2000s before he was born. "I know that even if there wasn't that South Asian community that support would be there, it's a great city, but having that is nice.
"I think having them is going to help me a lot and I'm just going to do my best to make them proud."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2023.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
