Midland RockHounds pitcher Jamie Arnold was taken by the Athletics with the 11th overall pick of the 2025 Major League Baseball amateur draft out of Florida State.
Christopher Hadorn/Reporter-Telegram
It speaks volumes of how the Athletics view Jamie Arnold when his first professional baseball assignment is at the Double-A level.
The 6-foot-1, 188-pound Arnold is beginning his pro career with the Midland RockHounds this week in their series with the Arkansas Travelers after being taken by the Athletics with the 11th overall pick of the 2025 Major League Baseball amateur draft out of Florida State.
Article continues below this ad
The left-handed pitcher posted a 3.00 earned run average over three appearances for the A’s with their big league club in Cactus League games this spring.
“It’s awesome,” Arnold says of starting out at Double-A. “It means a lot. Obviously, that means the team sees me highly. It’s going to be a challenge. It’s not going to be easy. But I’m ready for it. It’s awesome to be here. If you get to skip two levels, I will take it all day. The main goal is to be in the big leagues, and this is just one step closer.”
Arnold’s first love was basketball, not baseball when he was growing up in Tampa, Florida.
Arnold said he became frustrated with baseball for a short time when a back injury he suffered playing basketball impacted his hitting ability. He had hit well his whole childhood until this experience.
Article continues below this ad
“I think it was my freshman year of high school, I wanted to quit,” Arnold said of dropping baseball. “My dad (Jimmy) would not let me. I kept getting hurt playing basketball, so ultimately my decision was kind of made for me. I didn’t pitch until I was a sophomore. Once I started pitching, I started getting college interest and that made my decision. Yes, I miss basketball. In another life, I’m a basketball player, but in this one I’m a baseball player.”
“Without him, I wouldn’t be here,” Arnold added about his father who played football at Central Florida. “Thank you, dad, for not letting me quit baseball.”
Arnold, 22, believes his multi-sport background helped him become a better athlete in baseball, and he still tries to play some pickle ball and basketball so he’s not doing the same repetitive movements in his baseball workouts.
Arnold has developed a funky, low slot delivery that makes it difficult for opposing batters to pick up the ball.
Article continues below this ad
That deceptiveness helped Arnold guide the 2024 Seminoles to the College World Series as a sophomore and post a 2.98 ERA during his junior year.
Arnold says he can tell that some hitters are uncomfortable picking up the baseball out of his low release point by their swings.
“Over time, my slot has dropped,” Arnold said. “I initially started out high three-quarters, but I got to college, put on some weight, my slot has dropped. Now it’s where it’s at, but it feels comfortable. It’s something I started doing and got some good results and kept up with it. But I think it was a natural transition into how I throw now.”
Arnold uses a fastball, a slider and a changeup to attack hitters.
Article continues below this ad
“It’s not the traditional changeup where you’re going to get soft contact and it’s just to get the ball on the ground,” Arnold said. “It’s honestly more of a strikeout pitch. Yes, it’s a work in progress. I’m still trying to fine tune it, but I like where it’s at coming into the summer.”
RockHounds manager Gregorio Petit is looking forward to seeing how Arnold handles the transition to pro ball after he pitched in the high-level Atlantic Coast Conference.
“He’s talented,” Petit says. “His mechanics, he has some deceptive angles to work with. Hopefully, that plays out for us, and he helps us win some games and hopefully he leaves here soon, he gets out of here quick.”
Article continues below this ad