Oakland Athletics select FSU pitcher Jamie Arnold in 2025 MLB Draft

The Oakland Athletics select FSU pitcher Jamie Arnold in 2025 MLB Draft selected FSU LHP Jamie Arnold with the No. 11 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday. Arnold, 21, was one of three LHP prospects projected to go high in this year’s draft, the other two being LSU‘s Kade Anderson and Tennessee‘s Liam Doyle.

Arnold became one of college baseball’s best starting arms over the last two seasons after struggling as a freshman in 2023. He started 18 games in 2024, sporting an 11-3 record and a 2.98 ERA, to go along with 159 strikeouts and 26 walks in 105.2 innings pitched. Arnold earned First Team All-American honors from Perfect Game, ABCA, NCBWA and D1Baseball.

The Tampa, Fla., native returned to the mound in 2025 as the Seminoles’ undisputed ace. Arnold put together another stellar campaign, going 8-2 in 15 starts. He equaled his 2.98 ERA from the year prior, while punching out 119 batters and walking 27.

Arnold led FSU to the super regionals of the NCAA Tournament. The Seminoles dropped their three-game set against Oregon State, narrowly missing out on their 25th trip to the College World Series. Arnold started Game 2 of the series, a 3-1 FSU victory. In his last collegiate outing, Arnold went 6.2 innings, surrendering one run and striking out nine.

What MLB Draft analysts are saying about Jamie Arnold

MLB.com provided a scouting report on Arnold heading into the draft. Arnold, ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect, earned high marks for his Chris Sale-like delivery and wipeout slider.

“A left-hander with a rangy body and a loose, whippy arm, Arnold has seen his stuff tick up since leaving Jesuit High School for Tallahassee,” Arnold’s scouting report reads. “Coming from a lower arm slot and flat approach angle, his fastball, which was 88-92 mph in high school, now sits in the 94-95 mph range and touches 97 mph, with a ton of life to miss bats. While his slider can be a little wide at times, the 82-85 mph sweeping breaking ball is a second plus offering that elicited a 41-percent miss rate in 2024. His changeup is his third pitch, and he doesn’t need it much, but there’s some feel for it.

“Arnold has shown the ability to fill up the strike zone and limit damage while maintaining his stuff deep into outings. With the funky arm slot, his stuff has drawn some comparisons to Chris Sale’s, a reason why his name will be mentioned in conversations at the top of the first round.”