The Toronto Blue Jays Have Demoted Their Top Draft Pick From 2023

Arjun Nimmala, who was drafted No. 20 overall in 2023 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, has been demoted from Single-A after a tough start to the year. He's been put on the development list.

Aug 28, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, US; East infielder Arjun Nimmala (22) during the Perfect Game / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Arjun Nimmala, who was drafted No. 20 overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023, has been demoted from Single-A Dunedin after a tough start to the season. He's been put on the development list.

The following comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:

ANALYSIS
The 20th overall pick in last year's draft was overmatched at Single-A, as he was hitting .167 with 43 strikeouts in 29 games. Nimmala won't turn 19 until after the season, so he's got plenty of time to figure things out. The Jays could have assigned him to the Florida Complex League, but they presumably want to work on some things with him before he gets back into structured gameplay.

It's understandable why the Blue Jays would want to do this with Nimmala, who is so young. The team obviously doesn't want to rattle his confidence and sees him as a big part of their future. He is the No. 3 prospect in the organization and was taken from the Florida high school ranks.

The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

Nimmala’s physical projection and power potential at just 17 sent him shooting up Draft boards in 2023, ranking him No. 11 on MLB Pipeline’s Draft prospects list. The Blue Jays were thrilled to land Nimmala with the No. 20 pick and knew him as well as any organization given that he played prep ball just 40 miles away. Nimmala became the first first-generation Indian-American drafted in the first round of the four major U.S. sports. This was a dream match for the Blue Jays, given their new player development complex and Nimmala's raw upside at such a young age. 

The Blue Jays like his athleticism to stay at shortstop for now, but third base could enter the picture down the road. Nimmala played in nine games in the Florida Complex League in 2023, going 5-for-40 (.200) with 14 walks, but his power should start to show in flashes in ‘24. That power has the potential to be special, and it’d be even more notable if he’s able to stick at shortstop.

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