How did Arjun Nimmala inherit the craft of baseball while practicing cricket in his backyard? Taking a glance at the 2023 MLB draft prospect

Arjun Nimmala is going to be a top pick in the 2023 MLB draft but there was a time when he did not even know what the sport was. His parents emigrated from India and when he is selected in Sunday's draft, it will be the closest a person of Indian descent has come to the MLB, despite that still being a few years away.

How did Nimmala get to this point and how did he learn the sport of baseball? Let's dive into his profile and discuss what we know about his background.

How did Arjun Nimmala learn about baseball?

In India, baseball is not as popular as cricket is the main sport there. While at home, Arjun would play cricket with his younger brother and friends. Although cricket is not as popular in the United States, the game is very similar to baseball. It was during their cricket sessions that his father, Balu, noticed the hand-eye coordination of his eldest son.

In fact, the family did not know much about baseball and learned it together as Arjun began playing. One of the funnier moments was realizing he needed to drop the bat after hitting the ball, as they do not drop it in cricket.

Arjun had the dream of making it to the major leagues and continues to show the necessary skill to develop into a professional.

"It was always a dream of mine to play Major League Baseball ever since I knew what the MLB was. I kind of realized I was pretty good at the age of 12-13. Some of those skills started to pop out. ... But it's always been a dream of mine and I'm going keep chasing that dream." h/t MLB.com

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When should we expect to hear Arjun Nimmala's name called in the 2023 MLB draft?

Nimmala is one of the youngest players eligible for the 2023 MLB draft as he does not turn 18 until October 16. That makes him very valuable throughout the draft process as teams can expect him to be in the major league for a very long time.

He is currently ranked the 11th-best prospect in the draft class and the shortstop has shown the ability to be a five-tool player. Nimmala is also committed to the Florida State Seminoles and that adds a tiny wrinkle as teams are going to try to sway him from there. Nimmala's name is expected to be called within the first 15 picks of the draft.

It may not be the only time we hear about the family, as their younger son, Akhil, is part of the class of 2024.