Brewers Farm Update: Thursday, July 23

Colorado Springs Sky Sox (39-56), 20.5 GB

RHP Josh Roenicke: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 1 HR — 5,24 ERA

RHP Jaye Chapman (W, 2-1): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K — 3.43 ERA

3B Matt Dominguez: 2-for-3, 2B, R, 2 BB — .259 AVG

C Nevin Ashley: 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, walk-off single — .314 AVG

Biloxi Shuckers (11-14), 4.5 GB

RHP Johnny Hellweg (L, 0-3): 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, K, HR — 6.75 ERA

LHP Brent Suter: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K — 2.02 ERA

LF Victor Roache: 2-for-4, 2B, HR (4), R, 3 RBI — .233 AVG

RF Michael Reed: 2-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB — .278 AVG

Brevard County Manatees (12-13), 6 GB

Postponed: Rain

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (8-18), 13.5 GB

RHP David Burkhalter (L, 3-6): 3.1 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K — 4.52 ERA

RHP Cody Ponce: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K — 1.93 ERA

SS Blake Allemand: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB — .247 AVG

3B Luis Aviles: 1-for-4, HR (1), R, RBI, K — .164 AVG

Helena Brewers (15-17), 4 GB

RHP Marcos Diplan (L, 2-1): 4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K — 3.81 ERA

LHP Jake Drossner: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K — 3.38 ERA

SS Jake Gatewood: 3-for-4, 2B, R, RBI — .250 AVG

DH Dustin Houle: 2-for-3, RBI — .412 AVG

AZL Brewers (11-15), 5 GB

RHP David Lucroy: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K — 4.50 ERA

RHP Gentry Fortuno (W, 1-1): 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 HR — 1.93 ERA

LF Joantgel Segovia: 2-for-5, 2B, 2 R — .368 AVG

SS Gilbert Lara: 2-for-4, 3 R, BB, K — .314 AVG

RF Demi Orimoloye: 3-for-4, 2 HR (5), 2 R, 7 RBI, BB, K, SB (11) — .353 AVG

DSL Brewers (18-27)

RHP Rodrigo Benoit (L, 2-1): 6 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K — 2.47 ERA

RHP Deymar Alvarado: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K — 6.75 ERA

SS Ignacio Otano: 2-for-4, 2 2B, R, RBI — .360 AVG

3B Yerison Pena: 2-for-4, R, K — .363 AVG

Prospect of the Day:

This is getting ridiculous. AZL Brewers RF Demi Orimoloye had another huge game in the rookie league (3-for-4, 2 HR (5), 2 R, 7 RBI, BB, K, SB (11)). He was the prospect-of-the-day across all of baseball, let alone among Brewers affiliates. And he is no stranger to this space in our farm update.  n fact, I’m almost ready to propose that from now on we call this feature the Demi Orimoloye Prospect-of-the-Day Award.

Let’s put Orimoloye’s first month of professional ball in context. Last season, the Seattle Mariners selected Canadian high-school outfielder Gareth Morgan 74th overall. Enamored by Morgan’s plus raw power, the Mariners gave him an eye-popping, well-over-slot $2 million bonus. In 2014, Morgan struggled so badly in the Arizona League (155 AB, 16 BB:73 K, .148/.244/.252) that he is now repeating the level. Two days ago he hit his fifth professional home run in 258 at-bats. Last week he stole his eighth professional base. None of this is meant to diminish Morgan as a prospect. Baseball is supposed to be hard. And the young Mariners outfielder has shown promising signs of late.

This season, the Brewers paid Canadian high-school outfielder Orimoloye (121st overall) $450,000. Sixteen games and 68 at-bats later, Orimoloye leads the Arizona League in home runs and ranks fourth in steals. He also ranks seventh in average (.353), second in slugging (.691), and second in OPS (1.071) behind 22-year-old White Sox 1B Cody Daily. According to Baseball America, Orimoloye has a “chiseled” 6-foot-4 frame, is a “plus runner with a plus arm and plus raw power,” and “could develop into a legitimate five-tool player.” Thus far the lone blemish on Orimoloye’s stat line is his 1:20 BB:K ratio, but the significance of that ratio pales in comparison to the elite power-speed combo he has flashed and the fact that his plus power already plays in game competition. He is making the game look easy.

In short, it’s a small sample, but Demi Orimoloye looks to be the early favorite for steal-of-the-draft. Learn the name, Brewers fans. Learn it, and dream.

What I’ll Be Watching on Thursday:

Demi Orimoloye.