MLB Prospect Jamie Arnold

LHP - Florida State

Class: Jr

Ht/Wt: 6’ 1” / 192 lbs.

Pitch Mix:

FB - 94-95 mph

SL - 84-86 mph

CH - 87-89 mph

Jamie Arnold is the favorite to be the first pitcher off the board in the draft this summer. He attended Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida, playing baseball and basketball. In his senior season of high school baseball, Arnold posted a 2.02 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 66 innings of work. He then went unselected in the 2022 MLB Draft and chose to join the Florida State Seminoles.

As a freshman in 2023, Arnold struggled a bit and posted a 6.34 ERA in just 44 innings of work. He made 24 appearances including 8 starts and had a 2-5 record on the year. He totaled 49 K's and 27 walks. In 2024, as a sophomore, Arnold took a huge leap forward and solidified himself as the best pitcher in college baseball, heading into his draft year. He was the Noles' ace, making 19 appearances and 18 starts, with a record of 11-3. His 2.98 ERA with 159 K's and 26 strikeouts in 105.2 innings were enough to earn him First Team All-ACC and First Team All-American honors.

Arnold's pitch mix starts with a fastball, which sits around 94-95 mph and has touched 97. This pitch has some natural arm-side run, which he uses as part of a one-two punch with his devastating slider. The slider is around 82-84 mph with tons of two-plane movement. This pitch tunnels well with the fastball and will play against pro hitters right away.

Arnold has also added a new changeup to his repertoire this season. There has been a ton of optimism surrounding this new addition to the pitch mix for Arnold as the changeup is already rivaling the slider for his best pitch. It should help Arnold become even more effective this season, especially against right-handed batters, as he uses the changeup to create movement away from the hitter.

Strengths

● Unique Arm Slot

● Spin Rates

● Strikeout Rate

● One-two Punch

Arnold throws from a three-quarters arm slot with a bit of a funky delivery. His loose and whippy throwing mechanics paired with this arm slot create some deception for the hitter and allow him to hide the ball longer than some of his peers. He also tunnels his fastball and slider very well, creating a devastating one-two punch, especially when backfooting the righty batters with the slider. His high spin rates give his pitches plenty of movement and carry through the zone and create very high whiff and strikeout rates.

Weaknesses

● Limited Pitch Mix

● Defensive Struggles

Arnold's pitch mix has grown with the addition of his new changeup this year, but scouts have yet to see this pitch in game action and may want him to consider adding another pitch as he transitions to pro ball. Arnold has also had some issues fielding his position in the past as he committed 5 errors last season. However, with his athleticism, he should be able to be a serviceable defender on the mound when needed.

Pro Comparison: Jesús Luzardo

Luzardo and Arnold have a similar build, both standing at 6-foot 1 inch tall. Their pitch mixes are also similar, with Luzardo throwing a 95 mph fastball with a slider, changeup and sinker to go along with it. Arnold spins the ball a bit better than Luzardo, but when watching the film, their similarities are undeniable. Both also throw from a less vertical arm slot than most with Arnold's being the lower of the

two.

Final Analysis

Jamie Arnold's impressive run as a sophomore in 2024 has solidified his name at the top of draft boards this year. His fastball-slider combo is his bread and butter and creates strikeouts galore for the lefty. Arnold spins the ball well out of his three-quarter arm slot, inducing plenty of two-plane movement on his slider and good carry on the fastball. His strikeout numbers are very impressive for college, but scouts wonder how well that will transfer to pro ball. Arnold is projected to be a top 5 pick in this draft this summer.