By Curt Weiler
Jamie Arnold went through quite a lot in his three seasons with the Florida State baseball team.
He arrived as an under-the-radar prospect, ranked outside the top 250 in Perfect Game's 2022 high-school rankings. He went through some growing pains as a freshman, starting in the weekend rotation and then losing his spot, limping to the finish line with a 6.34 ERA over 44 innings.
Arnold exploded onto the scene as a sophomore, earning four first-team All-American honors with a 2.98 ERA and 159 strikeouts to 29 walks over 105.2 innings. That breakout seriously boosted Arnold's stock, sending him into his draft-eligible junior season with potential No. 1 overall pick buzz.
The junior lefty managed those lofty expectations well in 2025, delivering his second straight season with a 2.98 ERA and 119 more strikeouts over 84.2 innings.
Now, he's set to be one of the first names off the board in this year's MLB Draft on Sunday in Atlanta. ESPN's latest mock draft has Arnold going third overall to the Seattle Mariners while The Athletic's latest top 100 prospects list has Arnold at No. 6.
As he nears the end of his draft process, Arnold took some time to talk with the Osceola about some reflections on his time as a Seminole and preparing for what's next.
A few weeks removed now from the end of your Florida State career, what are your thoughts reflecting back on your time as a Seminole and what it meant?
Arnold: "It's been weird being home and knowing I'm not going back next year or at least that's the plan right now. I'm very appreciative of everything that happened at Florida State. I feel like those three years of my life were the biggest changes I've had in growth and maturity. The thing I have most struggled with is just missing all the people involved. I was around that staff for three years, the teammates. It changed every year, but just being at that facility and being around those people every day is kind of what I'm missing most right now. I wouldn't be where I'm at without Florida State. So in the end, I'm just appreciative of that chapter of my life."
You talked about your growth and maturity over your time at Florida State. Is there a moment where that really clicked for you or was it more of a gradual process?
Arnold: “No, it was pretty gradual. I think you grow a little bit each year and, now that it's over, I feel like you can kind of get the whole look of how everything changed for you. My freshman year, I kind of didn't really know what was going on. I didn't know what to expect from college baseball. So freshman year, you're just getting your feet wet. Sophomore year, obviously that was when I blew up on the scene, so I had a little big head. Not very egotistical, but I just thought I had it figured all out. And then junior year, it's your third year in the program, you're a vet, and you're supposed to be the guy that all the guys look up to. This year, especially, was just kind of when I found myself and how I am and how I need to be in the locker room. It was a pretty gradual change over my three years.”
If you had to pinpoint one or two things that Micah Posey most helped you with and one or two things that Link Jarrett most helped you with during your FSU career, what would they be?
Arnold: “Posey, he just helped me figure out my mechanics and what to do with my pitches from the pitching side of things. But really Posey helped me just in being comfortable in my own shoes, finding my identity on the bump and pitching with confidence. That was one thing I struggled with until Posey got there and that was the big thing that helped propel me into my sophomore year. He just made me feel comfortable where I was at. He's one of my best friends, as a coach. It's pretty cool that your coach can be your friend. So Posey is a great guy and I would not be here without him.
“Link was pretty tough on me my freshman year. Not that I didn't need it, but it helped me out a lot. I didn't know how good I could be. He obviously saw something in me that I didn't see in myself. I think he really just pushed me to get everything that I can out of myself. So that was one thing I owe Link. And just teaching the game, he was the best coach teacher I have had of baseball IQ. I feel like I learned a lot just playing under him.”
Of all your starts at FSU, are there one or two that stand out as your favorites?
Arnold: “I'd probably say the two regional games I started at home, both my sophomore and my junior year. Just because my sophomore year, that was like my first playoff game, and I threw the Immaculate ending, which I thought was the coolest moment of my career. And then this year at home against Mississippi State, that game was my last one at home, so obviously, going into that outing, I was a little more excited for it and just, appreciative of being able to pitch their one last time.”
Aside from your starts, are there one or two moments from your FSU career that stand out in your memory?
Arnold: “Yeah, really not even in-game, just playing mafia on the bus, I think. That's my favorite thing about playing for Florida State was just the moments we had off the field, just being with the guys. Because we spend so much time together on the field, but we spent most of the time not playing games. So just being with a group of guys and hanging out with everyone and having everyone together, those were my favorite moments.”
You entered this season with some incredibly high expectations. Nationals GM Mike Rizzo was at a few of your starts this season and I'm sure quite a few other front-office personnel from teams with the first few picks were closely watching every outing this season. What was it like dealing with that pressure? Is that something that it's hard not to think about on a daily and weekly basis?
Arnold: “There was a point in time during the beginning of the season where I was definitely trying to be perfect. It was non-conference games, I'd give up a hit and I'd beat myself up for it. That was a bad way to handle everything. It definitely took a couple of weeks, really, to find my feet and just trust that I put all the work in and I just need to go out there and pitch and have fun. (FSU reliever) Connor Hults asked me one week, he was like, 'Bro, are you having fun?' And I was like, 'Not really.' He just said try to have fun, and that's all I did. There was a point where I started having fun, I started pitching better, and I kind of started rolling towards the end of the season. Going into the year with all those expectations was tough. I really had never had to manage that since the year before no one really knew who I was. Going into last year, that was kind of a big thing for me was just managing those expectations. I kind of struggled with that at first. But as I went on I kind of learned and grew in that way.”
Do you remember when that switch flipped and you started having fun this past season?
Arnold: “Yeah, it was in the middle of the outing against Wake Forest. I was striking a lot of dudes out that day, but I didn't feel the best and I was overthinking with some of my pitches. I just looked at Posey and I just told him, 'I'm going to stop being a bitch right now.' That's kind of when everything changed for me, and I just started pitching like I did the year before.”
You have talked about the players you're going to miss being around at FSU. Who are the pitchers and hitters that are returning to FSU in 2026 who you believe are the next guys that are going to break out?
Arnold: “It was Wes' (Mendes) first full season of starting, so that's always kind of tough managing your first year. Now, he's done it for a year, he knows what to do. I think Wes is obviously a great pitcher. He was a great pitcher for us this year, but now with a year under his belt, I think he'll be good to go for another one. I think Cal (Fisher), it was his first full year of playing as well. I think he's going to come out next year with something to prove because we all see what these guys do in the preseason and stuff. Sometimes it changes when the season starts, but these guys have loads of talent and they're going to put it all out there next year.”
What has this draft process been like for you?
Arnold: “This part has been easy. There's no worry about having to perform this week or next week. I'm kind of just enjoying my time off, just trying to soak up every moment I have at home. I don't get too much time at home. The (draft) combine, all I had to do was tell myself to be myself during those meetings. At this point, it's up to God where I go. They've seen two years of the work I've done on the field. So now at this point, I'm just going to be myself during these meetings, and if they feel comfortable drafting me, then I'm in the right spot.”
With how drawn out this draft process can be dating back to when you blew up as a prospect in 2024, how tough is the waiting period to finally find out what organization is drafting you?
Arnold: “Yeah, it's tough. I was talking to my family yesterday about how I wish I could just know where I'm going. But it's exciting. This is obviously the position that everyone dreams of being in, so I'm excited. I know I can't really screw it up for myself right now, so that's a good feeling. Yeah, I'm excited to know where I'm going. I'm excited to start throwing the baseball again. But for now, all I can do is enjoy being home, working out and just hanging around my friends and family.”
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