2025 College Baseball Preview - Jamie Arnold - Florida State Seminoles
Florida State left-hander Jamie Arnold enters 2025 as the top ranked college pitcher.
Coming off a year in which he received First-Team honors in both the ACC and nationally, Florida State left-hander Jamie Arnold enters his third season in college baseball as the top ranked amateur pitcher and potential number one overall draft pick.
Winning the Florida 5A state championship as a high school senior with 91 strikeouts and 2.02 ERA in 66 innings, Arnold came into Tallahassee as a top 50 player in the state, per Perfect Game, and saw immediate innings. In his freshman year with the Seminoles, Arnold split time between the rotation and bullpen compiling 44 total innings with an ERA north of 6. Plagued by the long ball and the free pass (1.2 HR/9, 5.5 BB/9), Arnold’s freshman season left a lot to be desired. Despite the lackluster numbers, the talent was clearly there, getting Arnold an invite to the Cape Cod League. It was there that Jamie cut his HR/9 by more than half, allowing only 1 in 18 1/3 innings while cutting his BB/9 to 3.4.
His success in the Cape carried over into one of the more dominant 2024 seasons of any pitcher in Division I baseball. Locking down a full-time starter role, Arnold pitched to a 2.98 ERA in 105 2/3 innings with 159 strikeouts and a BB/9 of just 2.2. Ranking in the top 15 nationally in both innings pitched and K/9 (13.54), Arnold showcased the durability of an ace while proving he can miss bats at an elite clip.
During the 2024 season, Arnold made 18 starts, completing at least 6 innings in 10 of those outings, including 5 where he completed the 7th. He also showcased his strikeout ability, reaching 9 or more strikeouts in 12 of his starts. In a conference that sent eight teams to the regionals—five of them as hosts—Arnold remained consistently sharp. In 66 1/3 innings against ACC opponents, he posted a 3.26 ERA, racking up 101 strikeouts while walking just 15 batters.
His best game of the season came in a 1-0 loss against ACC foe, Pittsburgh. In the game, the left-hander threw 7 innings surrendering only 3 hits and 1 run while striking out 17.
Equipped with a low three-quarters arm angle, mid-90s fastball, and a two-plane breaking ball that saw opponents whiff on it 41% of the time in 2024, it is hard not to be optimistic about Arnold’s junior season.