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The Los Angeles Angels' No. 1 prospect, infielder Arjun Nimmala, is swinging a hot bat so far in the Arizona Fall League.
Nimmala, MLB Pipeline's No. 34 overall prospect, was named the Arizona Fall League's Hitter of the Week for the second week of the 2026 season. "Nimmala led the league in six categories, including doubles (2), triples (2), extra-base hits (4), total bases (12), slugging percentage (1.091), and OPS (1.758)," the Arizona Fall League's post on X/Twitter reads. "On Oct. 15, Nimmala ended a home run shy of the cycle, going 4-for-5 with a double and two triples, while driving in three runs."
In his first eight games this fall, Nimmala is hitting .344 (11-for-32) with one home run, seven RBIs, and seven runs scored. The 21-year-old is one of seven players with more than 10 hits through the first two weeks of the 2026 Arizona Fall League season. This fall success could be an early indication of what the young shortstop will look to do at the plate in his first full season in the Angels' farm system.
Overall, Nimmala had a .263 batting average, a .372 on-base percentage, and an .864 OPS with 16 homers and 51 RBIs in 89 minor league games this year. The Toronto Blue Jays' 2023 first-round draft pick made his Double-A debut in 2026 before being traded to Los Angeles for right-handed pitcher Jose Soriano. In his first 27 Double-A games in the Angels organization, the 21-year-old hit .260 with eight home runs and 17 RBIs.
With just 60 Double-A games under his belt, Nimmala will most likely begin the 2027 season with the Rocket City Trash Pandas. But if he continues his fall production at the plate next year, the young shortstop could make his Triple-A debut early on. And if that happens, the top prospect could be on track to join the big-league club toward the end of the season.
Current Angels shortstop Zach Neto was constantly mentioned in trade rumors this year. If the 25-year-old is traded, Los Angeles could aggressively push Nimmala up to the majors. But for now, the Angels' No. 1 prospect will focus on continuing his development in the Arizona Fall League.