Antonacci: From Pirate to Camel to Blue Jay, Arnold starts pro path

Fieldhouse Pirates and Campbell University Fighting Camels alum Bryce Arnold (Grimsby, Ont.) signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as an amateur free agent on July 20 and has started his pro career with Low-A Dunedin. Photo: Campbell University Athletics

August 22, 2023

By J.P. Antonacci

Canadian Baseball Network

Thirty teams passed on Bryce Arnold during June’s MLB draft, before the Toronto Blue Jays signed the middle infielder from Grimsby, Ont., to a free agent contract and sent him to Low-A Dunedin.

Jimmy Richardson, VP and director of baseball operations with Arnold’s alma mater, the Fieldhouse Pirates, has every confidence Arnold will rise far above Dunedin before his playing days are done.

“After Bryce signed, I said, ‘That guy’s going to be a big leaguer,’” Richardson told Canadian Baseball Network.

“He’s developed that mentality that he’s not going to be denied.”

Richardson may be biased, but he has also known Arnold since he was 10 years old and watched him grow into an elite player with the mindset needed to succeed.

“Bryce is tenacious. He doesn’t give up. He is a tremendous teammate and an extremely tough competitor,” Richardson said.

“It would have been easy to give up after the three days of the draft went by and he didn’t get his name called, when arguably he put up a better season at the college level than a bunch of guys who did get their names called.

“Now he’s got his foot in the door with the Jays. That’s an organization that couldn’t be a better fit for him.”

Fieldhouse Pirates alum Bryce Arnold (Grimsby, Ont), far right, is pictured here with Ontario Terriers alum Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.) (left) and Toronto Mets grad Ryan Leitch (Whitby, Ont) (centre) prior to a Florida State League game at Baycare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla. O'Halloran and Arnold are in the Blue Jays organization, while Leitch is in the Phillies system. Photo Supplied.

With the Blue Jays giving all players access to “every player development resource known to mankind,” Richardson expects Arnold to thrive.

“I think Bryce is going to take the opportunity he has from a development standpoint with the Jays and turn that into a long, successful professional career,” Richardson said.

Arnold, 22, signed a minor-league deal with Toronto on July 20 and reported to the team’s development complex in Dunedin.

He was assigned to the Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays in the Florida State League on July 26 and has acquitted himself well over his first 15 games, posting a .762 OPS with three steals, a home run and 10 walks against 13 strikeouts.

Arnold plays second base for the Jays, after rotating around the infield at Campbell University in North Carolina, where he suited up for the Division I Fighting Camels for three seasons.

“I really like it at both (middle infield) positions, so either one is fine with me. You’re involved with the majority of the plays,” Arnold said in an interview with Canadian Baseball Network.

Arnold said pro ball has been “pretty similar to what I expected,” because former Pirates teammates Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) and Nate Ochoa (Burlington, Ont.) – currently in the minors with the Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals, respectively – prepared him for the experience.

Richardson said Arnold and Caissie “pushed each other to be as good as they could possibly be” in the batting cage and while doing drills.

“He was never satisfied with being second-best at anything, and he used that motivation to turn himself into the player he is now,” Richardson said of Arnold.

With the Pirates, Arnold appreciated having access to a big facility “to be able to work on my game almost every day,” adding that daily work “was the best thing I’ve done to get myself set up for college and where I am today.”

Richardson watched Arnold put in that work for years, driven by a desire to exceed his limits.

“Bryce has always been a little bit undersized, but he plays with that chip on his shoulder,” Richardson said.

“Nothing he got was handed to him. Every inch that he’s gotten in the game, he’s had to earn.”

Bryce Arnold’s training with the Fieldhouse Pirates helped him land with the Campbell University Fighting Camels in Buies Creek, N.C. Photo: Campbell University Athletics

Arnold saved his best moments for the biggest stages, Richardson added.

“Bryce was a big game guy. When the stakes were highest, Bryce played his best,” he said, recalling moments in tournaments and Canadian Premier Baseball League games when Arnold rose to the occasion.

“When we were playing in big games, you could expect Bryce to be the best guy on the field that day,” Richardson said.

That knack for finding the spotlight carried over to college, when Arnold launched clutch home runs in regional games and Division I tournaments before showing well in the MLB Draft League.

“I used my strengths while I was in college. Just tried to perfect them a little more,” Arnold said.

“I’m definitely a gap-to-gap hitter, so my contact ability, my eye and discipline at the plate. And then my baseball IQ, where I can kind of read situations and know what’s going to happen or what’s happening in the moment.”

Off the field, Arnold said he “matured a lot as a person” while at college.

“Just learning about myself more,” he said.

“As a baseball player, I became more of a leader on and off the field, and learned about how my body works and how to translate it to the game.”

Taking advantage of every opportunity to get better at the college level is more important than worrying about whether scouts are in the stands, Arnold said.

“If you have other teammates that are getting scouted, eventually if you do your thing and perform, they’ll have their eyes directed towards you as well,” he said.

“So I think it’s more about finding somewhere you can develop, and eyes will come towards you after that and take a peek at how you’re doing and who you are as a player.”

Bryce Arnold (Grimsby, Ont.) took pride in becoming more of leader on and off the field for the Campbell University Fighting Camels in 2023. Photo: Campbell University Athletics.

Scouts took a long look after Arnold’s 2023 season at Campbell showcased his speed and power, with his OPS reaching 1.050 and 40 of his 79 hits going for extra bases, including 17 home runs and 19 doubles.

He was named First-Team all-Big South and Collegiate Baseball Third-Team all-American, but despite the stellar showing and interest from various teams, Arnold went undrafted.

“Obviously, I was a little disappointed with the draft. I thought I had a pretty good shot of going,” he said.

“After it happened, it’s out of my control. I was just ready to go back to work, go back to school and have another good year. But my agent gave me a call four or five days after the draft and came over with the Jays, and told me they had an offer for me.”

Arnold talked it over with his family before signing for a reported $70,000 and turning pro.

“We agreed that it was probably the best decision for me, so I took the offer,” he said, much to the delight of his friends and family in Canada.

“They were all excited,” he said.

“Pretty much every kid who plays this game wants to get to the pro level, so once you get that chance, it’s pretty exciting, especially when it’s by your favourite club that you grew up watching.”

Bryce Arnold (Grimsby, Ont.) signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on July 20. Photo: Baseball Canada

Blue Jays director of amateur scouting Shane Farrell told the Canadian Press that Arnold’s “consistency in performance” impressed the club.

“Playing in the middle of the field, showing some versatility, probably can move him around the infield as needed as a pro," Farrell said.

Now that Arnold is in the Blue Jays system, his aim is “to work my way up and see how far I can get.”

“I think I’m definitely a hitter before defender, so I need to be able to polish some things up, and then really work on my defensive side,” he said.

That means continuing to do what got him this far – “show up every day and do the best work you possibly can.”

“That’s in your control,” Arnold said.

“I think if you just grind every day and do all that work, you will get rewarded, because you end up becoming a better ballplayer and you’ll learn and pick up new things.”

Enjoying the process, and not solely dwelling on the outcome, is essential, he added.

“You’ve got to find stuff that makes you like doing what you’re doing. Everyone loves playing baseball, but some people don’t do the outside work – on an off day, or during practice – to get you prepared to your best level,” Arnold said.

“So you’ve got to find what works for you and do your best work at that.”

Richardson has every confidence Arnold will remain the same hardworking, humble kid who spent so many hours honing his craft with the Pirates.

“He’s going to do the same thing he’s done everywhere he’s gone,” Richardson said.

“He’s going to make sure he earns every single opportunity, and it wouldn’t surprise me if three, four, five years down the road, he’s found his way into the lineup at the Rogers Centre.”