The Next Great Hitter
Tyler Black
Emerging from Toronto, Canada, Tyler Black is quickly making a name for himself within the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He is the son of Rob Black a Canadian sports broadcast and former play by play for the Blue Jays. At 23 years old, he's showcasing exceptional skills at the plate and great skill on the bases.
Primary Positions: Third Base, First Base, Second Base and Centerfielder.
Bats/Throws: Left/Right
Physical Stats: 5'10", 204 lbs (178cm, 92kg)
Team: Milwaukee Brewers, probably going to start at AAA
Selected by the Brewers in the 1st round of the 2021 MLB Draft 33rd overall.
A Stellar 2023 Season
With an impressive .284 batting average, .417 OBP, and .930 OPS across 450 at-bats in AA & AAA last year, Black demonstrated his ability to contribute significantly to his team's offense. Black was also speed threat stealing 55 bases.
Home Runs: 18
Runs: 105
RBIs: 73
Pros
· Great plate discipline
· Low strike out rate
· Power to all fields
· Great speed on the bases/Stolen base threat
Cons
· Below Average arm for third
· Been moved from multiple positions trying to find the right fit
Swing Mechanics
From the left side Black uses a big leg kick to generate power and he consistently puts together high-quality swings that look effortless. The swing reminds me a little of Joey Votto and Freddie Freeman.
Defensive Questions
Black had defensive challenges at third base in 2023, where he had 13 errors in 97 games. The Brewers seem to be currently assessing the best defensive position for Black, taking into consideration his below average arm strength at third base and exploring alternatives like first base and designated hitter.
In the past he Black was a second basemen who played some outfield but in 2023 the Brewers gave that up entirely and only played him at third and first.
Spring Training 2024
Early here in spring training Tyler Black is hitting .235 with a .316 on-base percentage. While the Brewers would love more from him at the plate spring training stats like these aren’t reason for concern yet. What the brewers should really like is that Tyler Black made a couple of nice plays on defense playing both first and third base. It seems that he is really settling more into becoming a good defensive third and first basemen.
The Future
Quite recently some were projecting Tyler as an opening day starter at third, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. Very recently through the Corbin Burnes trade the Brewers acquired Joey Ortiz. Who is most likely to take third base for the Brewers. OF Sal Frelick started at third in the spring training opener and recent acquisition Rhys Hoskins will clearly lock down first base.
Black is very likely to start in AAA but in his time in the MLB must be close. The only real questions are when and where he will play on the field for the Brewers. At the least his Future Star Card will be cool to play with in the show this year.
References
Baseball reference for Tyler’s Minor league stats and other Notable information. Tyler Black College, Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics | Baseball-Reference.com