The former first-round pick and middle infielder got into his first game against the Portland Sea Dogs on May 5th, collecting his first hit with the Fisher Cats but also striking out three times in his debut. While Nimmala was able to drive the ball to the opposite field, it was a bit of a rude awakening for the Florida product.
The following game was postponed due to the weather, so a doubleheader was scheduled for Thursday to make up for the lost game. Nimmala found himself starting both contests, and across nine collective at-bats, he added two more hits, a walk, and an RBI to his total. This brought his average to .231 with his new squad.
Fast forward to the Friday night contest, and Nimmala and his teammates brought forward their best performance at the plate, beating the Sea Dogs by a score of 15-13. Nimmala went 4 for 6 in the two-hole, scoring two runs while collecting one double and one RBI with zero K’s at the plate. He started a five-run rally to start the first inning with a single the opposite way, and tacked on another single to kick off the second inning while also scoring another run. Nimmala’s double in the top of the ninth tacked on another run for the Fisher Cats, making it a 13-10 game.
The Jays prospect would collect another hit in the Sunday contest with Portland before getting a rest day on Monday, with New Hampshire back at home to welcome the Reading Fightin Phils. Nimmala got right back to work against the Phils, going 3 for 5 at the plate with one run scored and a double, while also staying out of the strikeout column. He also added a stolen base to his box score, his first since advancing to the Double-A level.
It’s a small sample size, but since the promotion, Nimmala has crafted a .423/.444/.500 slash line with two doubles, two RBIs, one walk, and six strikeouts to the tune of a .944 OPS. He is facing more advanced pitchers and finding early success, and it will be interesting to see how the opposing staff will adjust to Nimmala over time and how he counteracts those adjustments. Fielding-wise, he boasts a clean sheet at the shortstop position with 11 putouts and seven assists.
It’s an impressive start for the 20-year-old, who is almost three years younger than the average age in the league. While the .400 average is likely not sustainable for the rest of the year, if Arjun Nimmala continues to put a good swing on the ball and continue to make smart at-bats, a cup of coffee in Triple-A to round out the season could be on the horizon.