Orimoloye shows 'eye-popping' skill set in Minors

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- Brewers outfield prospect Demi Orimoloye already looked the part. Lately, he has been playing the part, too.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Orimoloye started the year No. 24 on MLBPipeline.com's list of the Brewers' top 30 prospects but fell off the list in a midseason update which was released just as he started a tear at Class A Wisconsin. In his past 10 games through Tuesday's 2-for-3 effort, the 20-year-old slashed .325/.372/.575 with five multi-hit games.
"When you look at him, he's an imposing figure," Timber Rattlers manager Matt Erickson said. "He's a big guy. He's an explosive body. The combination of power and speed, the potential in that is eye-popping."
Orimoloye's overall speed and arm strength are rated "above average" on MLBPipeline.com at 60 points on an 80-point scale. His third-best tool -- his overall power -- received 55 points. He is one of four Timber Rattlers with double-digit home runs (Orimoloye has 19 doubles and 10 homers in 365 at-bats), but leads the team with 114 strikeouts.
Orimoloye still has a "young" baseball IQ, Erickson said. He was drafted by Milwaukee 121st overall, in the fourth round, in the 2015 Draft and spent his first two years in the Rookie-level Arizona League and Rookie-level Helena Brewers in Montana. This is his first year at a full-season affiliate.
"When I first got drafted and got on first [base], I was running," Orimoloye said. "Catchers and pitchers are better now, so I'm just being more smart. And power, just staying controlled. Not trying to hit a home run every swing. Just taking what the pitcher gives you and just trying to put a good swing on the ball."
Orimoloye was born in Nigeria and moved to Ontario, Canada, when he was 10 months old. He went to high school in Ottawa, where he ran track and played football, basketball and baseball, a sport he picked up at age 11 as a way to make new friends. He never thought baseball would lead to anything serious until he made the Canadian Junior National Team when he was 15.
"I don't think that's a terribly bad thing for young people to play different sports and to develop different skill sets," Erickson said. "There's still a lot for him to learn as far as pre-pitch, what to look for and what to anticipate, but all of that stuff comes with more experience as he plays more every day."
Last call
• The Brewers will promote a pitcher from the Minor Leagues to start Friday or Saturday at Tampa Bay, manager Craig Counsell said. The opening was created when the Brewers demoted struggling Junior Guerra to Triple-A Colorado Springs after his last start.
Among the candidates are Brandon Woodruff and Taylor Jungmann, each of whom is already on the 40-man roster and pitching at Triple-A. If the Brewers look to Double-A Biloxi, Aaron Wilkerson is coming off a 2.25 ERA in July that earned him organizational pitcher of the month honors.
• Wednesday marked one year since the Brewers promoted shortstop Orlando Arcia to the Major Leagues. He was No. 13 on MLBPipeline.com's list of the top prospects in baseball at the time of his callup.