Behind top prospect Arjun Nimmala, MLB eyes India as next hotbed for talent and fans

MLB sees major growth opportunity in India for both fans and players, led by Blue Jays prospect Arjun Nimmala.

Baseball is known as America’s pastime, but it has long been a global game. From the Dominican Republic to Japan to Venezuela, the sport reigns supreme for fans, and countless players are on Major League Baseball rosters.

The next country that could soon be on that list? India.

While its residents may prefer a different game with a ball and a bat — cricket — it’s also the motherland of Arjun Nimmala, the top prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Picked 20th overall in the 2023 draft, Nimmala is the first first-generation Indian American to be selected in the first round.

Nimmala, who grew up outside Tampa, Florida, said his father introduced him to cricket at a young age but also taught him baseball. He fell in love with the sport and played competitively all the way through high school until the Blue Jays selected him at just 17 years old.

Two years later, he is ranked No. 46 out of 900 prospects by MLB and considered a future centerpiece of the organization.