By The Canadian Press

Arjun Nimmala to get big-league reps with Blue Jays during World Baseball Classic

Feb 18, 2026 | 2:59 PM

It took a full season of baseball, but Arjun Nimmala has learned that less is more.

Nimmala spent all of the 2025 season with the single-A Vancouver Canadians, playing in 120 games with the Toronto Blue Jays’ minor-league affiliate. The 20-year-old shortstop is spending spring training with the major-league roster, sharpening his skills on and off the field.

“Just trying to keep the game as simple as possible, have as much fun as possible,” said Nimmala on his goals. “Just mentally, I’m trying to stay locked in and prepared every single game and give it my best effort.

“I’m not going to put the pressure on myself to perform, because I know when I’m at my best I’m relaxed.”

Toronto selected Nimmala 20th overall in the 2023 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft straight out of Strawberry Crest High School in Dover, Fla.

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He played nine games of Rookie Ball for the Florida Complex League Blue Jays in his draft year, then split time between that club and the single-A Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League in 2024.

Nimmala hit .224 with 13 home runs, 61 runs batted in and 17 stolen bases for Vancouver last year after he started the season as one of the hottest hitters in the minor leagues. He hit .286 with nine home runs and 24 RBIs through the first 40 games of the season.

The number that stuck out to him the most, however, was the 120 games he played, easily the most of his young career.

“I think the biggest takeaway that I took from last season is definitely how much more the game is focused on mentally than physically,” said Nimmala in the major league clubhouse at the Blue Jays Player Development Complex in Dunedin, Fla. “You can be as physical as anybody but if you’re not mentally ready every game and not in a good mental spot, that may not play.

“So just learning from that and putting myself in a good mental spot, physical spot, to give myself the best opportunity I can every game was definitely the biggest thing I learned through those ups and downs.”

Nimmala ended 2025 as the third-highest ranked prospect in the Blue Jays’ system, behind starting pitcher Trey Yesavage and fellow shortstop JoJo Parker.

Yesavage actually moved through all five levels of Toronto’s minor-league system in 2025 and contributed to the Blue Jays’ deep post-season run. It’s expected that he’ll be on Toronto’s opening day roster this spring as a member of its rotation.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday that he expects Nimmala to play a lot during spring training as the organization tries to get him as much big-league experience as possible.

“He has his goals, physical goals, to keep his physicality throughout the whole season,” said Schneider. “I want him to be around the speed of the game. Every time he’s been with us, we’ve been impressed with his baseball IQ, with his game clock.

“I think he’ll be touching base with our hitting coaches that are here with (David Popkins) and (Lou Iannotti) and (Cody Atkinson), and formulating a plan for him this year and what to stick with.”

The World Baseball Classic, an international tournament featuring MLB stars that runs March 5-17, will give Nimmala a unique opportunity to get more of that big-league experience than a prospect would normally get at spring training.

The Blue Jays’ entire infield will be playing in the WBC, meaning that Nimmala will be pencilled in to most of Toronto’s exhibition games being held at the same time.

“He’s going to get a lot of runway in camp to play quite a bit, and that’s really, really good to play against some higher competition,” said Schneider. “Since we signed him, I’ve been impressed with his demeanour, for a young kid, I’ve been impressed with his maturity.

“I want to see that play out in games.”

The Blue Jays claimed infielder Ben Cowles off waivers from the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday afternoon.

Cowles, 26, played in the Cubs and White Sox organizations in 2025, combining to play 128 games between Triple-A Iowa and Triple-A Charlotte, hitting .235 with 30 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, 49 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases.

Right-handed pitcher Bowden Francis was officially placed on the 60-day injured list after he had Tommy John surgery last week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 18, 2026.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press