Jamie Arnold

He slid to the Athletics at 11th overall, but Arnold may have the best combination of track record and recent performance among the pitching prospects in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft. A 6-foot-1, 188-pound southpaw who spent his entire college career at Florida State with a strong 2023 Cape Cod League showing mixed in, Arnold was a top two ACC pitcher in back-to-back seasons. His stuff keeps getting better, with his fastball now sitting in the mid-90s (touches 97 mph). Arnold's slider was one of the best pitches in the class, working as a finishing pitch to both righties and lefties. His changeup improved significantly in 2025 and now has a chance to be his third plus pitch. Arnold's low three-quarters arm slot elicits comparisons to Chris Sale and allows all his stuff to play up. He threw 190.1 innings and logged a 6.6 percent walk rate over the last two seasons, so Arnold offers a high floor and a high ceiling. If he's healthy, he should be a viable big-league option this summer and projects to spend the entire 2027 season in the majors. Read Past Outlooks