TORONTO — One way to get Francisco Lindor to flash his trademark smile is by mentioning the name Arjun Nimmala to him.
Lindor, the superstar shortstop for the New York Mets, has worked out with the Blue Jays prospect during the past two off-seasons and considers himself a big supporter.
“Oh, of course I’ll talk about him,” Lindor said with a giant grin when asked to chat about Nimmala this week at Rogers Centre.
Lindor and Nimmala are both represented by SportsMeter and their relationship goes back to the fall of 2022, when the agency invited a group of players to practise in Montverde, Fla. Lindor noticed that not only did Nimmala, who was entering his senior year of high school, possess a polished swing and immense tools, but he was also a bright and curious player.
“He has an ability to adapt to new things very, very quickly,” Lindor said. “You teach him something and he goes out there and puts it to practice right away. He gets it and I love that about him.”
The Blue Jays were also drawn to that characteristic, which factored into the organization’s decision to select Nimmala in the first round, 20th overall, of the 2023 draft. The six-foot-one right-handed hitter turns 19 this October and is currently finishing up his first full season in pro ball.
Nimmala, ranked the No. 5 prospect in the Blue Jays’ system by MLB Pipeline, struggled mightily to open the campaign but has since caught fire in A-ball and was the Florida State League player of the month for August.
The Valrico, Fla., native batted .296 with five home runs and an .871 OPS across 22 games in August, leading the league with 29 hits and 53 total bases. As well, his 16 home runs are tied for fourth in the FSL.
Nimmala is beginning to really showcase his potential and Lindor, a four-time all-star who’s currently a front-runner in the National League MVP race, believes the ceiling is high for the prospect.
“His arm is fantastic,” said Lindor. “He’s got great range, super-fast, he can hit for power, he can hit for average, he’s got a great eye. Honestly, if he can improve everything at the same rate, he’s going to be one of the best players in their organization.
“I see him as becoming one of the faces of the franchise, for sure.”
Similarities exist between the two players beyond the agency that represents them. Both were drafted out of high school after committing to Florida State University and they play the game with a noticeable level of swagger.
When I interviewed Nimmala last year for a feature story, he pointed to the latter as the main reason why Lindor is his favourite player.
“You could see how calm and collected he is in anything that he does,” Nimmala said. “He’s so good in his ability to adjust and adapt. If he does have a bad rep, you see that fix in the next one.
“I did learn a lot from that because I realized that I can’t just fail and fail and not change something. I have to be able to switch something up and change something to help me be better.”
Lindor has noticed Nimmala’s intense desire to improve and says the teenager must learn how to navigate that without straying too far from his own strengths.
“His challenge is going to be to not try to be somebody else,” said Lindor. “His challenge is going to be wanting to be great and always chasing that greatness.
“He’s going to see something from me and he’s going to want to do it,” added Lindor. “Then he’s going to see something from another player in the big leagues and he’s going to want to do it. That’s going to be his challenge, to make sure he sticks with what he does best and makes the best of his tools, so people watch him and want to be like him.”
The two talk often but when Nimmala was going through a rough patch earlier this season, Lindor opted to “let him be,” so that the prospect could experience navigating through his own growing pains and eventually emerge stronger on the other side.
That’s what inevitably happened, leaving Lindor with a huge smile on his face.
“I’m super excited for him and what the future is going to bring for him,” said Lindor.
