Is this Angels prospect the most underrated prospect in the Fall League? Arjun Nimmala thinks so
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PEORIA, Ariz. –- Up until this point, Jake Munroe has had a habit of flying under the radar despite outstanding performances wherever he’s played. If Arjun Nimmala -- his Angels teammate and MLB's No. 34 prospect -- has anything to say about it, that will end during their time in the Arizona Fall League.
During the AFL’s media day on Wednesday in advance of the league opener on Saturday, Nimmala proclaimed Munroe to be one of the best players he has ever played with and as the most underrated player in the Fall League. The Angels' No. 20 prospect reached base three times and contributed a hit and an RBI in Mesa's opener against the Javelinas in Peoria on Saturday night.
“That’s my guy, we hit it off immediately, as soon as he got traded,” Munroe said about Nimmala, who came to the Angels at the Trade Deadline. “It means a lot, because obviously, you can tell, he’s got some talent. I appreciate that.”
There is evidence to back Nimmala's claims. Even though Munroe was a two-time All-State player at Champaign Central High School, his college options were limited. So he stayed in state and went the junior college route, heading a few hours south to John A. Logan. He quickly established himself and hit .339/.466/.661 with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs as a freshman. Those numbers might get a player some attention from Division I programs, and there was some interest from a few mid-Majors, but Munroe knew he needed to develop more, so he returned for his sophomore season.
That’s when things really clicked. Munroe finished his second season with a .415/.510/.881 line to go along with 23 homers and 81 RBIs, earning GRAC Player of the Year honors and a NJCAA Third-Team All-American nod. His opportunity to show what he could do on a larger stage came, via an offer from Louisville.
“I think the most love I got in my baseball career was going from JUCO to D1, and even the Draft a little bit,” Munroe said. “My name wasn’t popping on a lot of people’s radars, but it’s part of it. I kind of like it that way. Just let me work and let my game speak for itself.”
When his lone fall at Louisville was derailed by a shoulder injury, it was unclear whether Munroe would get any love at all. He wasn’t able to swing the bat or even throw. But he made a very strong impression by doing everything he could to improve his game
“I think that’s the biggest question regarding my game, my defense,” he said. “I’m really happy with the way my year turned out this year. A lot of it goes back to that mentality from that fall.”
“He was always very professional,” Louisville coach Dan McDonnell said. “He showed that when he hurt his shoulder in the fall and couldn’t really hit, so he worked extremely hard on his defense every day, really helping him become a complete player.
“And in the spring when was able to hit, he always had the right approach in BP, very short to the ball with a middle, low line-drive approach. It’s why he was able to get big hits in pressure moments and performed his best in the postseason.”
Munroe hit .346/.451/.593 with 13 homers for the Cardinals in 2025. And despite a big postseason that landed him on the Men's College World Series All-Tournament Team after going 6-for-17 in Omaha, he was taken in the fourth round of the 2025 Draft and the Angels signed him for a below-slot bonus of right around $600,000 (pick value was $701,300).
“It’s the way it’s been [for me],” Munroe said about the Draft. “I wasn’t really holding on to anything. I wasn’t having high expectations. I was just going with the flow, that’s kind of been the story of my baseball career.”
The under-appreciation continued during his first full season of pro ball. He wasn’t ranked as a prospect in the organization at the start of the season, though he's now No. 20. After hitting 11 homers with an OPS of .896 over 56 games with High-A Tri-City, he earned a promotion to Double-A Rocket City, where he kept producing, with a .315/.412/.491 line in 62 games. He led the entire organization with his 142 wRC+ before hitting in the three-hole during the Trash Pandas’ run to the Southern League title. And even though he played 118 regular-season games, there was never a hint of a lack of enthusiasm about extending his year.
“It’s the best job in the world, so telling me I have to play some more baseball, that’s easy,” Munroe said. “It’s a great honor, it’s a very well-respected league. I’m very happy they see me in that regard and want to see me get more ABs, so I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
It’s also a terrific platform to showcase his ability and perhaps shed that underrated label. Though the 23-year-old infielder might not be in a hurry to rid himself of the chip on his shoulder that’s clearly been a motivator for him.
“It’s been on my shoulder my whole career,” Munroe said. “My favorite song is ‘Chip On My Shoulder’ by Ron Wave. It just kind of speaks to me and it gets me going.”