By Neetu Garcha
Under the lights at Vancouver, B.C.鈥檚 Nat Bailey Stadium, 19鈥憏ear鈥憃ld Arjun Nimmala is standing out, not only for his on-field performance, but for the cultural resonance he brings to the game.
Nimmala was born in Florida to Indian immigrant parents and is already regarded as one of the top prospects in the Toronto Blue Jays organization.
A sit-down interview with Global News delved into the depth behind his rapid ascent.
Straight out of high school, Nimmala signed with the Blue Jays for $3 million after being selected 20th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft.
He now plays for the Vancouver Canadians, the club鈥檚 High-A affiliate, and has been named the Northwest League鈥檚 Player of the Week. The publication Baseball America also called him a 鈥渇uture star.鈥
And while another name, Texas Rangers prospect Kumar Rocker, officially claimed the milestone of being MLB鈥檚 first player of Indian descent, Nimmala鈥檚 journey is just beginning.
In May, Nimmala played during South Asian Heritage Night at Nat Bailey Stadium, a night which he said took on a deeply personal meaning.
鈥淚t felt amazing, you know,鈥 he told Global News.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what to expect going into the night, but just seeing all the people here, especially Asians, Indians, it was insane because usually you don鈥檛 see a lot of that, and just having them here meant a lot for me.鈥
Born in the U.S. but proud of his roots, Nimmala even celebrates them on the field, in his own signature way.
鈥淢y name is Arjun, named after Arjuna, he鈥檚 an archer in Hindu mythology,鈥 he explained.
鈥淪o if you ever watch the games, I do a, like, when I get on second base or something, I do a bow and arrow celebration to like kind of show meaning to that.鈥
Before he played baseball, he played cricket, his father鈥檚 sport. The early experience with hand-eye coordination and bat control helped shape the foundation for what would become a pro career.
鈥淔or me personally, I thought it was a pretty smooth transition. You know, a lot of the bat-to-ball skills you see in cricket is very similar in baseball. So I thought the transition for me was pretty smooth,鈥 Nimmala said.
Nimmala鈥檚 pro career didn鈥檛 start as smoothly as he would have hoped.
After struggling in his first several games, he credits mechanical adjustments and mental focus for the dramatic improvement.
鈥淚 was definitely not very good to start the season last year for sure, but I mean, you know, it was just a little bit of a learning stage, got a little bit of time to reset and go back to the complex and made some mental tweaks, hitting adjustments, and since then, you now, just forgot about that start and you know been good ever since,鈥 he said.
David Singh, a senior writer at Sportsnet, has followed Nimmala since the draft.
鈥淚 spent some time with Arjun right after he was drafted and he was a fresh-faced kid just signed 鈥 to see the development he鈥檚 gone through since then it鈥檚 been a marked change,鈥 Singh said.
鈥淗e鈥檚 really mature; the level of maturity is something that people here in the organization speak about. It鈥檚 something that wows them.鈥
According to Singh, that maturity sets him apart.
鈥淔or somebody to go through struggles, come out on the other side okay, but then recognize how that has been for their development is pretty rare for a 19-year-old,鈥 Singh said.
Doug Fox, a Blue Jays prospect analyst and writer, says Nimmala鈥檚 rise in High-A is especially impressive given his age and the pitching-friendly environment of the Northwest League.
鈥淗e鈥檚 very young. Despite being one of the youngest players in all of the High-A level, he鈥檚 among the offensive leaders in many categories. Everything about him suggests he will be an impact bat at the big league level,鈥 Fox said.
鈥淚 certainly would expect by 2027 or 鈥28 he will be a full-time big leaguer.鈥
Singh also sees a major upside as Nimmala grows into his frame.
鈥淎s his frame develops, I think we鈥檒l see more power come out. He鈥檚 a very strong hitter, he鈥檚 got a good hit tool is what we call it in baseball,鈥 Singh said.
Nimmala knows he carries more than just expectations on his back; some say he also carries a community.
鈥淟ast year, he was vying to become the first player of Indian descent in major league baseball; that鈥檚 since been passed by Kumar Rocker of the Texas Rangers. It鈥檚 significant for kids everywhere to know they can have a seat at the table too,鈥 Singh said.
Singh said Nimmala鈥檚 role as a cultural trailblazer began well before his debut.
鈥淎rjun has entered professional baseball already lugging a whole culture on his back in a sense,鈥 he said.
鈥淗e was fielding questions about his ethnicity and standing in the game because of his race when he was 18 years old, before he was even drafted. To hear him speak now about that is quite impressive.鈥
Despite the spotlight, Nimmala told Global News he doesn鈥檛 feel the heat of the spotlight.
鈥淣one of it鈥檚 been pressure. It鈥檚 always been motivation to keep getting better,鈥 Nimmala said.
Though Nimmala says he鈥檚 not putting a timeline on when he鈥檒l make it to the majors, he hopes to make his debut in Toronto.
鈥淲hat would be cool is if a debut came in Toronto, that would be the coolest,鈥 Nimmala said.鈥
And when that day comes, he wants to be remembered for more than his stats.
鈥淎fter I鈥檓 done playing baseball, I hope people remember me as not only a great player but also a great leader and a person who really did what they could for anyone,鈥 Nimmala said.
In a game driven by numbers, perhaps it鈥檚 Nimmala鈥檚 perspective that continues to set him apart. And he鈥檚 already inspiring a generation that looks up and sees someone who looks like them.
鈥淧eople definitely know who he is. They鈥檝e seen him on MLB Network. He鈥檚 done an excellent job of handling that pressure,鈥 Singh said.
Nimmala鈥檚 journey to the major leagues is in its early stages but for many, the significance of his presence today is already a home run.