Is Arjun Nimmala Indian? 2023 MLB draft rank, high school stats, and more

Arjun Nimmala is considered one of the top high school prospects in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Nimmala's parents hail from India, with his relatives based around the state of Andhra Pradesh. His father, Balu, moved to the United States in 2001.

Speaking with Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, the high school senior said:

"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. And from then I was like, 'Oh, I'm going to go play college baseball.' And now I'm like, 'Oh, maybe I play MLB.' But it's always been a dream of mine and I'm going keep chasing that dream."

He discussed his thoughts on potentially becoming the first MLB player with Indian heritage, and said:

"There's always pressure that comes with that. I'm trying to make them proud and just play for them and play for me as well. The ballplayer always came first and then the Indian part of it kind of came second. I'd love to make them proud, but it always was me playing baseball for me."

How did Arjun Nimmala perform in high school?

Arjun Nimmala played four years of varsity baseball as a shortstop at Strawberry Crest High School in Dover, Florida. As a freshman, he appeared in just seven games, hitting .188 with just four RBIs and a .466 OPS.

Nimmala took a big step forward the following season. He played 27 games and hit .400 with 30 RBIs, 15 stolen bases, and 1.032 OPS.

As a junior in 2021-2022, he appeared in 18 games, hitting .271 with three home runs, 14 RBIs, seven stolen bases, and a .928 OPS. In his senior season, he played 25 games, hitting .479 with six home runs, 29 RBIs, nine stolen bases, and a 1.477 OPS.

While his offensive was generally strong as he hit .382 with a 1.121 OPS over four seasons, Nimmala's fielding percentage was just .942. On a positive note, however, it did improve each season, topping out at .958 in his senior year.

Arjun Nimmala is currently ranked as the 11th-best overall prospect, and fourth-best high school prospect, in the 2023 MLB Draft. While he has been committed to joining the Florida State Seminoles since his freshman year of high school, Nimmala could turn pro if his name is called high enough.