History: Arjun Nimmala,17, Drafted By Major League Baseball Team

India-West News Desk

MIAMI, FL – Arjun Nimmala, 17, has become the first Indian American teen and the second Indian American ever to be drafted into Major League Baseball.

The high school shortstop was drafted 20th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays on July 9. The 20th pick comes with an approximate slot value of $3.75 million.

Nimmala lives in Valrico, FL and attends Strawberry Crest High School. The Toronto Star reported the young sportsman has a commitment to attend Florida State University in the fall, but the Jays still expect to sign him and start his development process with a two-week orientation at the team’s minor-league complex which is about an hour from his home.

The 6 feet one inch hitter is the son of parents who immigrated from Andhra Pradesh. Typical of an Indian family, he played cricket early on and spent summers in Vijaywada visiting family and playing the sport.

Encouraged by his parents to engage in sports, he committed to play college baseball at Florida State while he was a freshman in high school. Nimmala was named the Florida Gatorade Player of the Year and the Wade Boggs Athletic Award, given to the best player in Hillsborough County, FL, as a senior after batting .479 with six home runs and 29 RBIs.