Arjun Nimmala could've been an elite cricket player.
The Florida native had all the tools to be an excellent batsman as a youngster. When he would take trips from his hometown to his parents' native India, Nimmala would share the pitch with locals.
Nimmala's skillset didn't translate to bowling — he had a difficult time getting the form right. Still, his versatility has proved valuable on a different field.
Nimmala is among the best high school baseball prospects in the country. He's a near-lock to be selected in the first-round of this year's MLB Draft. With solid defense, power to all fields and decent contact skills, it's easy to see the appeal. At just 17 years old, Nimmala is fairly polished. If he can round off the rough edges of his game, some even believe he could grow into a Carlos Correa or Javy Baez type talent.
All of that for a kid whose earliest love may have well been cricket.
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Here's what you need to know about Arjun Nimmala, perhaps the most interesting player in this year's MLB Draft.
Who is Arjun Nimmala?
Nimmala is not your average big league prospect. The lanky shortstop from Strawberry Crest High School near Tampa, Florida, is one of a handful of South Asians leading the vanguard as the region looks to leave its stamp in the major league game. He has the chance to join Kumar Rocker (No. 3 pick, 2022) as Indian-American first-round prospects if he hears his called in the first 30 selections.
Nimmala's background has shaped him in immeasurable ways. For starters, it prompted him to immerse himself in cricket, particularly when he traveled back to his parents' homeland — the place that nearly all of his extended family call home.
It adds a certain level of pressure, admittedly — carrying the burden of not just a whole nation, but an entire region of people who have traditionally been underrepresented in the world of high-profile sport.
And yet, Nimmala is handling things with a smile. He wears his heritage like a medal, sporting it proudly as he strives for his big league dream.
"I'm very proud of my background," Nimmala told Perfect Game. "If I could one day make it to the majors, it'd be great to represent India."
"My parents...they just wanted to give their kids an opportunity to achieve everything they want and to be successful in life."
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 6, 2023
Arjun Nimmala has a chance to become the first player of Indian descent to play in Major League Baseball. pic.twitter.com/YfjNwt9loz
MORE: MLB Draft order 2023: Full list of picks
For many scouts, it's a question of when, not if, Nimmala will get the chance. Ranked the No. 9 prospect in this year's draft by MLB Pipeline, Nimmala blends a smooth-swinging stroke with impressive plate discipline. Some say he has the potential to smack 25-35 homers a season. And that's not to mention his steady glove, which could prove valuable at shortstop or third base, depending on how his body develops.
The son of a former cricketer, Nimmala understands the meaningfulness of the sport that the Indian subcontinent has embraced for decades. It was a major inspiration for him getting into baseball in the first place.
“My dad was a cricket player [in India],” Nimmala said in his interview with MLB Network's Harold Reynolds and Greg Amsinger. “It all started with cricket. I used to have a cricket swing."
His stride is a little bit different nowadays. But it's effective all the same, as evidenced by this moonshot he hit during one of Strawberry Crest's games back in February:
Strawberry Crest (FL.) SS Arjun Nimmala hit a ball to Pluto last night for a grand slam. Scouts at the field said this ball was absolutely torched.
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) February 14, 2023
No. 16 on the @ProspectsLive Top 300. pic.twitter.com/McXLHEpapF
Named Florida's Gatorade National Player of the Year, Nimmala has plenty of pedigree. He's hoping to turn that pedigree (and the potential that comes with it) into real, material improvement. Not just for himself, but for others with similar backgrounds who might follow him.
“There’s not many Indian-American ballplayers,” Nimmala said, per MLB.com. “The transition to baseball has been a lot but hopefully one day I can inspire Indian-Americans and get more Indians in the sport.”
Arjun Nimmala player comparison
With a gangly build, elite ball skills and good instincts on the basepaths, Nimmala has become an MLB scout's darling ahead of the 2023 draft.
The likes of Baez and Correa share a great many traits with the Florida-based youngster. So too does Francisco Lindor, a player who Nimmala trains with from time to time.
Nimmala doesn't have Lindor's defensive range. But, much like the Mets star, he is decent-to-good at just about everything else you can do on the field. Nimmala has true 30-homer potential and his contact hitting, while at times inconsistent, has shown signs of promise.
It's not a perfect comparison, obviously. But couple Nimmala's well-rounded game with a smile that would make a firefly jealous, and it seems the talented infielder could have an All-Star-level ceiling.