Pirates Take Florida State Pitcher in Latest Mock Draft
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have less than two months until the 2025 MLB Draft and one college prospect might serve as a great option for them.
Kiley McDaniel of ESPN has the Pirates taking Florida State left-handed pitcher Jamie Arnold with the No. 6 pick in the first round.
Arnold hails from Tampa, Fla. and played Jesuit High School and dominated as a senior in 2022, with a 7-3 record, a 2.02 ERA over 66.0 innings pitched and 91 strikeouts. His play lead his team to the Florida 5A State Championship.
He came out of high school as the No. 4 left-handed pitcher in Florida and No. 258 in the country, according to Perfect Game. He also committed to Florida State as a sophomore in October 2019.
Arnold pitched in 24 games and started eight contests with the Seminoles as a freshman in 2023. He had a 6.34 ERA over 44.0 innings pitched, 49 strikeouts to 27 walks and an opposing batting average of .269.
He spent the summer pitching with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the Cape Cod League. He earned an All-Star nod, as he finished with a 2.95 ERA and 21 strikeouts over 11 appearances and 18.1 innings pitched.
Arnold improved drastically as a sophomore in 2024, with an 11-3 record over 19 appearances and 18 starts. He also posted a 2.98 ERA over 105.2 innings pitched, 159 strikeouts to 26 walks, an opposing batting average of .224, a 1.10 WHIP and a 13.5 K/9.
He ranked third amongst all Division I pitchers in strikeouts, was a Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award semifinalist and earned First Team All-American honors from Perfect Game, ABCA, NCBWA, and D1Baseball.
Arnold has had another strong season with Florida State as a junior in 2025. He has a 7-2 record over 13 appearances, a 3.04 ERA over 71.0 innings pitched, 97 strikeouts to 24 walks, a .207 opposing batting average, a 1.07 WHIP and a 12.3 K/9.
He is one of the top ranked prospects in baseball, with ESPN having him at No. 1 overall and MLB Pipeline placing him at No. 4.
Arnold stands 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds, while possessing three pitches. This includes a fastball that sits around 94-95 mph, while reaching 97 mph, a slider that batters missed 41% of the time in 2024 and a changeup as his third pitch.
The Pirates have drafted highly the last few drafts, including Konnor Griffin at No. 9 overall in 2024, Paul Skenes at No. 1 overall in 2023, Termarr Johnson at No. 4 overall in 2022, Henry Davis at No. 1 overall in 2021 and Nick Gonzales No. 7 overall in 2020.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.