2023 MLB Draft - Day 1

Sunday, July 09 2023 @ 06:02 PM EDT

Contributed by: #2JBrumfield

The 2023 MLB Draft will begin at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time with the first two rounds and will be held at Lumen Field, the home of the Seattle Seahawks. The draft can be seen on TSN, ESPN, MLB Network and MLB.com. You can also follow the draft right here.

Day 2 of the draft with rounds 3-10 is set for 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday and Day 3 with rounds 11-20 goes on Tuesday, also at 2:00 p.m. Eastern.

The Toronto Blue Jays have the 20th overall pick.


The Blue Jays only have their first-round pick on Day 1 as they lost their second-rounder for signing Chris Bassitt. They have a total bonus pool of $6,529,700 to work with.

The latest mock draft from Carlos Collazo of Baseball America has the Blue Jays selecting first baseman Nolan Schanuel from Florida Atlantic with the 20th pick. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo from MLB Pipeline have different opinions with Callis believing the Jays will go with Miami third baseman Yohandry Morales while Mayo thinks they will go back to the high school ranks again by grabbing righthander Noble Meyer from Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon.


Image from maxpreps.com

Round 1 - 20th overall. SS Arjun Nimmala. Strawberry Crest HS (FL). Bats Right, Throws Right. 6-foot-1, 170 pounds. Born October 16, 2005. Slot Value $3,746,000.

MLB.com - The area in and around Tampa has long been a hotbed in terms of producing premium high school Draft talent, and this year is no different, with hitters like Aidan Miller and Nimmala high on most teams' boards. Nimmala's age and offensive upside were on display all summer, including at Major League Baseball's High School All-American Game, and he's poised to become the first draftee ever from Strawberry Crest High School. A 6-foot-1 right-handed hitter and shortstop, Nimmala is all about projection. He calls himself a “patient-aggressive” hitter and definitely doesn't get cheated at the plate. He has at least plus raw power and can drive the ball to all fields, and while there are still some issues about his pitch selection and inconsistency in the quality of his at-bats that sometimes keeps him from tapping into that power, scouts are bullish about his offensive upside. A tick above average as a runner, Nimmala has every chance to play shortstop for a long time, with enough arm and range for the premium position to go along with loose actions. If it all clicks, the Florida State recruit could have plus grades across the board, a big reason why he's vaulted himself into serious first-round conversations. Video

Baseball America - Nimmala is one of the youngest players in the 2023 class and will still be 17 on draft day. He stood out as an underclassman for his impressive defensive aptitude in the middle infield, but as he’s added strength to his wiry frame, his tools have taken a jump and so has his draft stock. A 6-foot-1, 170-pound shortstop, Nimmala has plus bat speed and takes aggressive swings. He showed shockingly good raw power throughout the summer in batting practice for a player of his current size and physicality, with quick-twitch hands and a whippy bat that allow him to make impressive impact now, with plus raw power a possibility as he fills out. He generates impressive power with a quick turn, but his approach and contact ability need continued refinement. He expands the zone too frequently, and while he’s capable of driving both fastballs and breaking balls, he’ll also get too steep with his bat path and swing under pitches, as well as wave over them below the zone. He should stick at shortstop in pro ball, where he has the requisite actions and arm strength for the position. He’s a bouncy athlete who moves well to both sides and has solid hands, though he’s more of an average runner and often is slow to get out of the box and down the first base line. Some scouts who like him have placed Alfonso Soriano comps on Nimmala, as a power-hitting infielder. He’s committed to Florida State.

Twitter Reaction

Steve Fek @slasherbaseballs the pick of Arjun Nimmala not only tells us the organization is comfortable with depth of MLB ready talent. It Has a chance to make a significant cultural impact. Bravo

Tyler Kotila @tyler_kotila Very much so "up" on Arjun Nimmala! Seen him down here for @Florida_PG and have always been impressed with him. Really great grab for the Jays here with the uber proj. SS/RHH that's going to continue getting better. #PGDraft #NextLevel

Brian Sakowski @B_Sakowski 20. Toronto: Arjun Nimmala, SS, FL HS. Top 10 talent on our board, outlier raw power for present size, tension-free RH bat speed with huge power upside, good athlete with SS projection, still just 17 so younger for class. In love w/ this pick. #PGDraft #NextLevel

Nick Videll @baseball1587 Let’s go!! Umpired this kid several times short and powerful swing and smooth hands with quick feet in the IF the @BlueJays are getting a good one! 🔥🤘 @arjunnimmala congratulations

Scott Burgess @scottybscout #BlueJays take SS Arjun Nimmala from Strawberry Creek (FL). I saw him play in spring at his school and was very impressed with fluidity and power to gaps. Very good fielder. Congrats to him. Also the Cards missed him by ONLY ONE PICK! Ugh

Prospect Tilt @Prospect_Tilt Arjun Nimmala's upside is as high as anyone in the draft but the variance is high/ Great pick for the Blue Jays. Tremendous upside potential that'll stick at shortstop.

Peter Flaherty III @PeterGFlaherty The Toronto Blue Jays have selected 6’1” SS Arjun Nimmala. Just 17 years old, Nimmala will continue to add impact and has some of the highest upside out there. Good defender at SS with an above average arm. Already has present power in his bat.

Nate Eckert @GQ__82 FINALLY somebody took a “chance” on Arjun Nimmala and it’s the ⁦@BlueJays who will absolutely reap what the previous 19 teams won’t. @Prospects1500

Chris Clegg @RotoClegg #MLBDraft Pick 1.20, Blue Jays Select: Arjun Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest HS (FL). Steal here for the Jays, advanced prep bat who burst on the seen. Could have a 55 grades across the board, but plus power potential here with high bat speed. #NextLevel

Taylor Blake Ward @TaylorBlakeWard Arjun Nimmala is maybe the biggest upside bet in the class, there are always boom-or-bust questions with players of his profile but I'm buying, there's star power in the tools and makeup.

Mike Maerz @Mike_Maerz Congratulations to MIF Arjun Nimmala on being selected No. 20 Overall by the #BlueJays @arjun_baseball_ is the type of player that makes an impact all over the field with real offensive juice. High level academics as well. @DiamondProMedia @OstingerAcademy #MLBDraft #NextLevel

MLBExecutiveBurner @HotStoveintel Great value for #BlueJays in Arjun Nimmala SS Strawberry Crest HS (FL). Elite Bat Speed & tremendous character. If he develops properly, they got a potential All Star at 20. That's Rare....

Eric Cross @EricCross04 Nimmala is one of the youngest in the class, but the upside is exciting w/ plus raw power leading the way offensively & the ability to stick as SS long-term. #MLBDraft

Dani Wexelman @DaniWex Arjun Nimmala told me last year his name means "for a God or Hero in his religion, someone who is skilled & disciplined with a bow & arrow" & that "not many Indians play baseball, it makes him "proud" to represent Indian culture. He could be the first MLB player of Indian descent.

Rob Wong @RobWong34 I’ve known Arjun Nimmala for like 5 minutes and I’m not sure there’s a Jays prospect I’ve rooted more for to make it to the Majors.

64 comments


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