Orimoloye aware of expectations he carries

MARYVALE, Ariz -- Oluwademilade Oluwadamilola Orimoloye slung an equipment bag emblazoned with the Brewers' "M" logo over one shoulder and carried three bats in his other hand. Sized up against his 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame, the hefty load didn't look overwhelming.

The 19-year-old Orimoloye, who goes by Demi, is used to carrying a lot. As Milwaukee's 14th-ranked prospect, he's tagged with exciting expectations on the field. On a broader scale, however, more rests atop his impressive stature. Born in Nigeria and raised in Canada, the outfielder has a toolset that makes scouts drool and, if things break right, he could be the first African-born Major Leaguer. Ever.

"Someone told me that right after I got drafted," Orimoloye said Thursday outside the Brewers' Minor League clubhouse at the club's Spring Training facility. "It's like putting a country on my back, a continent on my back, actually. That would be cool."

Orimoloye's birthplace is an interesting sidebar, to be sure, but it's far from what puts him on the prospect radar. His power, speed and arm grade out as 55 or 60 on MLB.com's 20-to-80 scouting scale, while his hitting and fielding tools are rated at 50. That's Major League average or better across the board.

The Brewers plucked Orimoloye out of high school in the fourth round of last year's Draft and sent him to the Rookie-level Arizona League, where he posted a .292/.319/.518 slash line, knocking six homers and driving in 26 runs in an eye-opening debut season.

"It was real smooth. I loved it," he said of his transition to pro ball. "First game against the Dodgers, I remember my first at-bat, I was a little nervous, and then by the end of the game, I think I was 3-for-5. After that, it just took off from there. I loved the everyday playing and practicing."

Back in familiar surroundings at the Brewers complex, Orimoloye is comfortable and eyeing more this season.

"It's great coming here, knowing what you're doing every day, getting in a routine that you're going to build up through the season and getting comfortable with what you're doing," he said. "No more pre-Draft anything. This is just a job now, so it's been great.

"It was good to get all the young guys here [in the AZL] first because we get comfortable. We get relaxed. We get kind of babied into it, getting ready for the long bus rides and the travel. Maybe the farthest ride we had to take was like 50 minutes to the Giants' place [in Scottsdale]. We're just trying to get ready for the long bus rides and all that stuff."

The right-handed slugger crushed right-handed pitching last season to the tune of a .319 average, .915 OPS and all six of his homers. This year, Orimoloye is focused on rounding out his game.

"This season, just consistency, building on what I did last year," he said. "Just continuing to do what I did and get better. The goal for Spring Training is to get better every day. Every day, I'm trying to get better in all aspects of the game."

On Thursday, Orimoloye worked with fellow ranked outfield prospects Tyrone Taylor (No. 12), Clint Coulter (No. 13), Monte Harrison (No. 15) and Victor Roache (No. 26), a group from which he's learning the ropes with full-season ball on the horizon.

The youngest of that quintet, Orimoloye is still a kid by many measures, but he's mindful of a greater role to be played. He's already been approached by Major League Baseball to gauge his interest in returning to Africa as an ambassador of the game, similar to the goodwill trip Rays pitcher Chris Archer took last year.

"It's weird. I was in high school last year and now I'm in professional baseball," Orimoloye said. "That's a little funny, but I like being a role model for people, so that's always good."

First, the Minor League ladder awaits. Brewers Minor Leaguers begin spring games against other organizations next week.

"After a few of those, I'm going to be ready for the season, but it's fun to be here right now," he said. "I'm just trying to get better every day and show the coaches what I can do. I'm trying to show up this spring and, hopefully, make the [Class A] roster, but I don't know. We'll see what happens. For goals for the season, just win with my teammates, get better every day, develop a lot of stolen bases, home runs.

He added with a smile, "Fun stuff like that."