Arjun Nimmala isn't just meeting expectations—he's obliterating them. The Toronto Blue Jays' top-100 prospect has been on an absolute tear since his promotion to Double-A, and his scorching start is giving the organization a very good problem to have: too much talent in the middle infield.
On Tuesday night, Nimmala went 3-for-5, including another double, raising his batting average to a jaw-dropping .423 in the early going. Over 27 plate appearances at his new level, he's slashing .423/.444/.500, good for a 144 wRC+. To put that in perspective, he's doing all this while being three years younger than the average player at Double-A. That's not just good—that's elite.
Nimmala has been one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball since moving up a rung on the minor league ladder, and he shows no signs of slowing down. The Blue Jays knew they had a special player when they drafted him, but even they might be surprised by how quickly he's adjusting to tougher competition.
Here's the thing about having a shortstop prospect this good: you can never have too many. Nimmala isn't alone in the pipeline—Jojo Parker is coming up right behind him, and both have the potential to become impact MLB players. Eventually, one of them might have to shift to a different position, but that's a luxury problem. Moving a talented infielder off shortstop usually means they're athletic enough to handle second base, third base, or even the outfield.
The Blue Jays would much rather have both Nimmala and Parker pan out and figure out the defensive alignment later. And if Nimmala keeps hitting like this, that decision might come sooner rather than later.
It's still early in his Double-A stint, but Nimmala looks like a player who will be ready for the next challenge whenever the call comes. For now, Toronto can sit back and enjoy watching their young phenom rake.
