Demi Orimoloye

{{Short description|Canadian professional baseball player (born 1997)}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Demi Orimoloye

| image = Demi Orimoloye (15284301812) (cropped).jpg

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| caption = Orimoloye at Rogers Centre in 2014

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| position = Outfielder

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|1|6}}

| birth_place = Lagos, Nigeria

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| throws = Right

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Oluwademilade Oluwadamilola "Demi" Orimoloye (born January 6, 1997) is a Nigerian-born Canadian former professional baseball outfielder. He attended St. Matthew Catholic High School in Ottawa, and was considered a top prospect in the 2015 Major League Baseball draft. The Milwaukee Brewers selected Orimoloye in the fourth round, and traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018.

Early life

Orimoloye was born to Adenike and Segun Orimoloye in Nigeria.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2015/03/20/demi-orimoloye-baseball-africa-mlb|title=Canadian prospect Demi Orimoloye bidding to make baseball history|first=Jeff|last=Bradley|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=March 20, 2015 |access-date=May 8, 2015}} His father, Segun, is an architect, and both of his parents worked for the Nigerian government.{{cite web|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/sports/Scanlan+Orl%C3%A9ans+teen+prospect/7418278/story.html|title=Scanlan: Orléans teen a top prospect|first=Wayne |last=Scanlan|work=Ottawa Citizen|access-date=May 8, 2015}} Demi has a younger brother, Temi. The family moved to Canada when Demi was eighteen months old, and live in Orleans, Ontario. As a child, he played volleyball and basketball.{{cite web|last=Boor |first=William |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/brewers-prospect-demi-orimoloye-rising-fast/c-144916304 |title=Brewers prospect Demi Orimoloye rising fast |work=MLB.com |date=May 24, 2018 |access-date=September 2, 2018}}

Baseball career

Orimoloye began playing Little League Baseball at the age of 10. He attended St. Matthew Catholic High School in Ottawa. He joined for the Canadian junior national baseball team when he was 15 years old.{{cite web|url=http://www.canadianbaseballnetwork.com/articles/orimoloye-looking-ahead-2015-draft/ |title=Orimoloye looking ahead to 2015 draft |work=Canadian Baseball Network |access-date=May 8, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518093911/http://www.canadianbaseballnetwork.com/articles/orimoloye-looking-ahead-2015-draft/ |archive-date=May 18, 2015 }} In 2014, he traveled with the national baseball team to Orlando, Florida, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. He appeared in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game, which is held for the 40 best high school baseball prospects.{{cite web|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/sports/local-sports/big-league-attention-for-ottawas-big-league-prospect|title=Big league attention for Ottawa's big league prospect – Ottawa Citizen|first=Ken |last=Warren|work=Ottawa Citizen|access-date=May 8, 2015}} In February 2015, Orimoloye was named a High School All-American by Baseball America.{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball.ca/naylor-orimoloye-named-high-school-all-americans|title=Baseball Canada – Naylor, Orimoloye named High School All-Americans|work=baseball.ca|access-date=May 8, 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://www.torontosun.com/2015/03/13/canadas-baseball-future-on-display|title=Canada's baseball future on display|newspaper=Toronto Sun|access-date=May 8, 2015}} He was also named the Most Valuable Player at the 2015 Area Code Games.

=Milwaukee Brewers=

Orimoloye committed to attend the University of Oregon to play college baseball for the Oregon Ducks baseball team. He was eligible to be selected in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft, and has been ranked among the 50 best prospects available in the draft by Baseball America{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/top-canadian-prospect-orimoloye-eyes-majors/|title=Top Canadian prospect Orimoloye eyes majors|author=Rogers Digital Media|work=Sportsnet.ca|access-date=May 8, 2015}} and Perfect Game.{{cite web|url=http://www.independentsportsnews.com/canada/orimoloye-no-longer-of-of-untapped-potential|title=Orimoloye no longer OF of untapped potential|author=Scott Harrigan|work=The Independent Sports News|access-date=May 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626062819/http://www.independentsportsnews.com/canada/orimoloye-no-longer-of-of-untapped-potential|archive-date=June 26, 2015|url-status=dead}} The Milwaukee Brewers selected Orimoloye in the fourth round, with the 121st overall selection, of the draft.{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/demi-orimoloye-of-ottawa-drafted-by-the-milwaukee-brewers-in-4th-round-1.3106430|title=Demi Orimoloye of Ottawa drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 4th Round: Orimoloye, 18, was born in Nigeria but raised in Ottawa suburb of Orleans|publisher=CBC News|date=June 9, 2015|access-date=June 9, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.orleansstar.ca/Sports/Baseball/2015-06-16/article-4184284/Demi-Orimoloye-drafted-to-MLB/1|title=Demi Orimoloye drafted to MLB|work=orleansstar.ca|access-date=July 6, 2015}} He signed with the Brewers, reportedly receiving a $450,000 signing bonus, and reported to the Arizona Brewers of the Rookie-level Arizona League to begin his professional career; in Arizona, Orimoloye posted a .292 batting average with six home runs and 26 RBIs.{{cite web|url=http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/06/20/orleans-outfielder-inks-pro-contract-with-brewers|title=Orleans outfielder inks pro contract with Brewers|work=Ottawa Sun|access-date=July 6, 2015}} Orimoloye spent 2016 with the Helena Brewers of the Advanced Rookie-level Pioneer League, where he batted .205 with five home runs and 17 RBIs.{{cite web|url=http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=647309#/career/R/hitting/2016/ALL |title=Demi Orimoloye Stats, Highlights, Bio | MiLB.com Stats | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball |publisher=Milb.com |date= |access-date=September 2, 2018}} He spent the 2017 season with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers of the Single-A Midwest League,{{cite web|author=5:07 p.m. CT April 22, 2017 |url=http://www.postcrescent.com/story/sports/mlb/rattlers/2017/04/22/rattlers-outfielder-demi-orimoloye-has-high-ceiling/100662810/ |title=Rattlers outfielder Demi Orimoloye has high ceiling |publisher=Postcrescent.com |date=April 22, 2017 |access-date=September 2, 2018}} posting a .214 batting average with 11 home runs, 45 RBIs, and 38 stolen bases in 125 games.{{cite web|url=http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=647309#/career/R/hitting/2017/ALL|title=Demi Orimoloye Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball|publisher=|access-date=November 4, 2017}} In 2018, Orimoloye began the year with the Carolina Mudcats of the High-A Carolina League, and hit .248/.322/.393 in 126 games for Wisconsin and Carolina.

=Toronto Blue Jays=

On August 31, 2018, the Brewers traded Orimoloye to the Toronto Blue Jays for Curtis Granderson.{{cite web |last1=Todd |first1=Jeff |title=Brewers Acquire Curtis Granderson |url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/08/blue-jays-reportedly-trade-curtis-granderson.html |website=MLB Trade Rumors |date=August 31, 2018 |access-date=September 1, 2018}} In 2019, he spent the year with the High-A Dunedin Blue Jays, slashing .240/.292/.386 with 12 home runs and 64 RBI across 113 games. Orimoloye did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|title=2020 Minor League Season Canceled|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/06/2020-minor-league-season-will-be-canceled.html|website=mlbtraderumors.com|date=June 30, 2020 |language=en}} Orimoloye spent the 2021 season with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, batting .237/.268/.368 with 6 home runs and 20 RBI in 75 contests. He elected minor league free agency following the season on November 7, 2021.{{Cite web | url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2021-22-minor-league-free-agents-for-all-30-mlb-teams/ | title=2021-22 Minor League Free Agents for All 30 MLB Teams | date=November 9, 2021 }}

Playing style

Orimoloye is {{convert|6|ft|4|in}} tall and weighs {{convert|225|lbs}}. Greg Hamilton, coach of the Canadian junior team, has called Orimoloye a "special athlete",{{cite web|url=http://m.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article/61429974/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518072436/http://m.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article/61429974/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 18, 2015|title=Naylor, Orimoloye impressing at Tournament 12|work=Toronto Blue Jays|access-date=May 8, 2015}} who "looks like a kid who’d normally be going to the University of Texas to play tight end".