Brewers: Draft heavy on arms, hard-to-sign players

Drafted in the fourth round, Canadian outfielder Demi Orimoloye could make history as the first major-league player born in Africa. (Image capture from youtube.com)

Rounds 3-6

The Brewers took two right-handed pitchers—one collegian and one high-schooler—along with a college shortstop and a high-school outfielder from Canada in the third through sixth rounds.

Round 3: RHP Nash Walters, Lindale (Texas) High School

Walters is a big kid, already 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, and he turned 18 in May.

“Nash has been around the circuit a little bit,” Brewers amateur scouting director Ray Montgomery told MLB.com. “Patience, obviously, with a high school kid, will be required. That’s true for all of these guys. We’re not in an immediate-gratification game.”

Walters was taken with the 90th overall pick and apparently signed almost immediately, despite having committed to play collegiately at Texas A&M.

As a junior in high school, Walters didn’t allow an earned run in 31 innings and struck out 48.

Round 4: Demi Orimoloye, RF, St. Matthew (Ottawa) High School

Demi Orimoloye is a raw prospect, but the Canadian product could make MLB history if he makes it to the major leagues—he could be the first player born in Africa to play in the show.

Born in Nigeria, the 18-year-old picked up the game as a teenager and toured with the Langley Blaze, the same travel team that produced Brewers right-hander Jim Henderson.

“If anyone can pull it off,” Montgomery told MLB.com. “It’s Demi.”

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, he sometimes lacks polish in all areas of the game, according to scouting reports, but his raw power, speed and arm strength all got high marks.

He is committed to play at the University of Oregon if he doesn’t sign.

Round 5: Blake Allemand, SS, Texas A&M University

Blake Allemand, a switch-hitting shortstop, was taken one day after the Aggies were eliminated from the NCAA baseball tournament with a 16-inning walk-off loss to TCU. He will be 23 next month and could move quickly through the organization.

Originally from Boerne, Texas, north of San Antonio, Allemand hit .339/.430/.506 as a senior with Texas A&M, with seven homers and 40 RBI in 64 games as the Aggies finished 50-14.

MLB.com draft expert Jim Callis projects him as a utility player at the big league level.

Round 6: Eric Hanhold, RHP, University of Florida

Another big right-hander, 6-foot-5, 205-pound Eric Hanhold moved up in the world after being the last player taken in the 2012 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Hanhold, who just completed his junior year with the Gators, was 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 25.1 innings this season. He appeared in 14 games, including four starts, and also played in the Cape Cod League last summer.

He was 1-2 with a 3.42 ERA in six games for the Orleans Firebirds in Cape Cod play in 2014 and was the fourth pitcher taken by Milwaukee in its first seven picks.

Hanhold isn’t done with his college season just yet—the Gators play Miami to open the College World Series on Saturday.

Next: Finishing Up Day 2