More on new Jays minor leaguer Demi Orimoloye
Originally published June of 2015
The Blue Jays acquired OF Demi Orimoloye (Orleans, Ont.) an Ottawa-Nepean Canadians grad, from the Milwaukee Brewers in a deal for OF Curtis Granderson on Friday night.
OF Oluwademilade Oluwadamilola Demi Orimoloye 4th Round (121st Overall) _ Milwaukee Brewer.
With the 16th pick of the fourth round (121st overall) the Milwaukee Brewers selected athletic outfielder Demi Orimoloye.
Orimoloye has come to terms with his new team.
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Hometown: Orleans, Ontario
Teams: Canadian Junior National Team, Ottawa Canadians
Coaches: Tanner Watson, Don Campbell, Greg Hamilton.
College Commitment: Oregon
Twitter Handle: @DemiOrimoloye16
Scout: Jay Lapp
Slot Money: $465,600
Signed: $450,000
Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 60 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50
Rated: 49th on Perfect Game's combined list, 16th among high school players, top-ranked Canadian high school player. 41st on Baseball America's top 500 high school players. 62nd on MLB Pipeline's top 200. 93rd on the ESPN top 100.
Scouting Reports:
Baseball America
Scouts have struggled to pronounce the Nigerian-born outfielder's full name for quite a while. Orimoloye has shown explosive tools for several years, having been exposed to high levels of competition as a member of the Canadian Junior National Team and the Ontario Blue Jays.
While scouts already knew who he was entering the summer showcase circuit, Orimoloye really took off at East Coast Pro and the Area Code Games, where he showed advanced feel for the barrel and power in game situations.
With a chiseled, 6-foot-4 frame, Orimoloye has long levers and room to add even more strength, allowing scouts to dream on his upside. He's a plus runner with a plus arm and plus raw power, with some questions about how much he will hit. Orimoloye's swing has taken significant steps in the right direction, and he's shown the ability to recognize pitches and drive the ball from gap to gap.
Defensively, Orimoloye's routes and reads will be an early focus for him at the next level. He has the speed for center field right now, but could be moved to right field as he fills out. If his bat comes along as many scouts expect it to, Orimoloye could develop into a legitimate five-tool player. He is committed to Oregon but should end up signing this year.
MLB Prospect Watch
One of the best all-around athletes to come out of Canada in years, Orimoloye could become the first first-round pick out of Ontario since Scott Thorman in 2000 -- if he has a strong spring. Born in Nigeria, he moved to Canada when he was 10 months old.
Orimoloye is built like a linebacker at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, and all of his physical tools (raw power, speed, arm strength) grade out as plus. With his strength, bat speed and leverage, he can hit the ball farther than most high school players.
Relatively new to baseball, Orimoloye lacks polish at times at the plate, on the bases and in the field. But he has shown significant improvement in the last year and has prototypical right-field tools. He'll attend Oregon if he doesn't turn pro.
Perfect Game
Orimoloye’s game still isn’t polished but it has come so far over the past year and he has such a high power/speed ceiling that one senses that scouts still don’t know what to make of the Canadian outfielder.