DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Brad Mills doesn't get distracted easily. Take Wednesday morning. A few hours before the Blue Jays took the field for an exhibition against Team USA, a handful of players gathered around a clubhouse television to hear the latest news on the Manny Ramirez contract saga with the Dodgers.

While the players laughed and commented on a segment filled with Manny-being-Manny moments, Mills sat in front of his locker -- the only occupied stall on his side of the room. Mills never once turned to see what was going on around him. Instead, he kept his head buried in a book, a copy of the World War II novel "The Rising Tide."

"We spend a lot of time in the locker room," Mills said with a laugh. "So I like to pick up a good book here and there."

Mills doesn't appear to get too worked up out on a mound, either.

The 24-year-old left-hander logged three innings against a powerful United States lineup at Dunedin Stadium and hardly flinched at the line of All-Stars that made their way into the batter's box. He remained focused and allowed just one run on one hit in his second audition of the spring.

Some nerves might have been expected, but Mills said he wasn't intimidated.

"Seriously, I didn't really know who all was on the roster and stuff before today, and I saw them all out there," he said with a shrug.

Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, the 2007 National League Most Valuable Player, was batting in the No. 2 hole. Last year's NL batting champion, Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, was hitting third. Some sluggers that followed: David Wright, Adam Dunn and Ryan Braun. On the bench? Try Derek Jeter and Brian McCann. Curtis Granderson was hitting ninth.

No big deal.

"It was pretty exciting to pitch against those guys," said Mills, hardly sounding awestruck.

It's Mills ability to stay calm and focused on the hill that has impressed Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston all spring. Mills is one of a select few prospects in the running for a rotation job with Toronto, and it's his name that is usually mentioned first when Gaston discusses the candidates.

"If you start thinking about rotation spots, or this or that, the game's gotten big, and that's stuff you can't control."

-- Brad Mills

Gaston has liked what he's seen from Mills since the lefty's first bullpen session this spring.

"I've seen him throw on the side. I just like his stuff. I kind of like his makeup," Gaston said. "Stuff is important, but makeup is really important. When you're talking about makeup, you're talking about handling situations, pitching under pressure."

For many young pitchers, taking on Team USA would provide the kind of pressure Gaston was talking about. Prior to the game against the Americans, Gaston said he was looking forward to seeing how Mills would react to the situation.

If Mills is going to pitch for the Blue Jays, he's going to have to face similar hitters anyway.

"That's an All-Star team over there," Gaston said. "But, if he's going to pitch in the big leagues, you're going to go into Yankee Stadium and you're going to see those kinds of teams -- in Boston. He's going to have to learn to pitch in the fire.

"That's the difference in guys playing in the big leagues and not playing. You're dealing with pressure. There's a lot of people who keep playing, but they can't deal with the pressure."

Mills definitely understood the chance he was being given, but he wasn't stressing over his opponent.

"It's definitely a good opportunity, but every time they run you out there it is," Mills said. "I'm blessed to be in a big league camp like this and pitching in front of them, whether it's a high school team or Team USA. I think every opportunity is about the same, because you only pitch as well as you can control."

For Mills, he was less concerned about the high-profile hitters he was facing and more worried about locating his pitches. Through the first two innings, he worked fast and retired all six batters he faced. In the second, Braun chased after an outside offering from Mills, swinging feebly for an inning-ending strikeout.

In the third inning, Mills ran into his first trouble. After two quick strikes to Mark DeRosa, Mills threw four consecutive balls for a leadoff walk. Catcher Chris Iannetta followed with a single to right field, and DeRosa later crossed home plate on a groundout from Granderson.

It was that third frame that Mills brought up after the game.

"The thing that hurt me was the walk," Mills said. "When I don't throw strikes, it gets back to haunt you no matter who you're playing, whether it's Team USA or not. I went out those first six guys, I was throwing strikes and got them out -- and then I lost a little command."

Mills relies on a deceptive delivery, one that has paid off in a big way since Toronto selected him in the fourth round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. In his two professional seasons, Mills has gone 15-5 with a 1.96 ERA across four levels. Last year, he went 13-5 with a 1.95 ERA with stops at Class A Lansing, Class A Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire.

When on the mound, Mills has a mantra that has helped him along the way.

"I try to simplify it as much as I can," he said. "I think, 'I'm a left-handed strike thrower.' That's all there is to it, and that's what I think about when I'm out there, no matter who I'm facing."

Mills knows about the rotation vacancies, but said he's not focusing on that right now. He's just getting ready for the regular season. Everything else is out of his control.

If Mills didn't have that mentality, he might be faced with some distractions. He's learned to tune the peripheral noise out. Mills credits Andy Lopez, his coach at the University of Arizona, for helping that aspect of his game.

"In college, my coach was big on the saying, 'Don't let the game get big,'" Mills said. "That includes everything even off the field. If you start thinking about rotation spots, or this or that, the game's gotten big, and that's stuff you can't control.

"If I just focus on working as hard as I can between starts and throwing strikes when I'm on the bump, then that's all I can really do."