Blue Jays Top Prospect Claims Northwest League Player of Week Award

This Toronto Blue Jays shortstop prospect is on a fast track toward moving up the organization’s minor-league ladder.

Aug 28, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, US; East infielder Arjun Nimmala (22) during the Perfect Game All-American Classic high school baseball game at Chase Field. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

There is no question that shortstop Arjun Nimmala is the Toronto Blue Jays’ top prospect. Every major scouting site agrees.

For now, the 19-year-old from Florida is playing for the Vancouver Canadians in the Northwest League. But, from the start of the season he’s been one of the league’s most dominant hitters.

On Monday, the Northwest League named Nimmala its player of the week for action between May 19-25. This is Nimmala’s first player of the week award this season and the second league award of his professional career. He was named the Florida State League player of the month last August while he was at Class A Dunedin.

Why Arjun Nimmala is the Northwest League Player of the Week

Last week Nimmala went 9-for-25 (.360) with a double, a triple, two homers, six runs scored, six RBI, 18 total bases, four walks and two steals in six games.

He had one of the best games of his young career in the series opener against Eugene last Tuesday, as he finished a double shy of the cycle, had four RBI and set a career best with eight total bases.

Two games later he nearly had another cycle against Eugene. He had three hits — a single, a double and a home run — along with seven total bases.

Nimmala won’t turn 20 years old until after the season, but he’s creating incredible buzz among minor-league evaluators.

In 40 games this season he has slashed .286/.368/.540 with a .908 OPS, including 12 doubles, a triple, nine home runs, 30 runs scored, 24 RBI, 19 walks, three steals and 87 total bases.

Not surprisingly, he is among the Northwest League leaders in a host of offensive categories. Those include batting average (sixth), home runs (second), RBI (tied for 10th), slugging percentage (second), OPS (fourth), hits (tied for fourth), doubles (second), triples (tied for ninth), extra-base hits (tied for first), total bases (second) and runs.

Entering the week, Nimmala’s batting average is more than 50 points better than he was a season ago at the Florida Complex League and Class-A Dunedin. It’s easy to see why minor league experts are high on Nimmala, who was the Blue Jays’ first-round pick in 2023 (No. 20 overall).

Before he was selected in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft and signed for the Blue Jays for $3 million, he was a Florida State commit out of Strawberry Crest High School in Tampa, Fla.

While in prep baseball, he was named the Florida Gatorade player of the Year and the Wade Boggs Athletic Award, the latter of which is given to the best player in Hillsborough County, Fla.