The son of Canadian sports broadcaster Rod Black, Tyler was a talented hockey defenseman before leaving the ice to focus on baseball. The 2019 Horizon League freshman of the year, he slumped during the shortened 2020 season but has rebounded to establish himself as one of the best left-handed college bats in the Midwest. He could give Wright State its fourth position player drafted in the top four rounds in the last five years, following Sean Murphy (Athletics, 2016), Peyton Burdick (Marlins, 2019) and Seth Gray (Twins, 2019).
Black masterfully controls the strike zone from the left side of the plate, making regular hard contact while drawing plenty of walks. He has enough bat speed, strength and leverage in his 6-foot-2 frame to produce 15 homers on an annual basis. He made a good impression by doubling in two at-bats off potential No. 1 overall pick Kumar Rocker of Vanderbilt on Opening Day and by drawing seven walks in five games against Southeastern Conference opposition to start the season.
While he possesses average speed, Black has the instincts to steal and take extra bases when given the opportunity. He played second base as a freshman before moving to third base in 2020, and now he's back at the keystone following surgery on his throwing shoulder. His arm is merely average so he fits better at second, where his quickness and hands are assets with turning the double play.
A career .353 hitter at Wright State, Black went to the Brewers with the 33rd overall pick in the 2021 Draft and put together a solid first full season at High-A Wisconsin and the Arizona Fall League that was limited by a left scapula fracture and broken left thumb. Healthy in 2023, the Ontario native was one of Milwaukee’s most productive Minor Leaguers with a .284/.417/.513 line and 145 wRC+ over 123 games. His .930 OPS, 12 triples, 55 extra-base hits and 55 steals all led the Brewers system.
Black employs a large leg kick as part of his swing but he keeps himself nicely in rhythm, allowing his hand-eye coordination, bat speed and discerning eye to keep him from chasing outside the zone or whiffing when he does take his hacks. His 8.1 percent swinging-strike rate was 13th-best among 125 batters with 500 plate appearances or more at the Minors’ top two levels. He’s willing to take his free passes (23/27 K/BB rate under the ABS system at Triple-A), pushing his OBP further up while his slugging percentage should play closer to average, with decent but not great impact.
A plus runner, Black seriously pushed the envelope on the basepaths in 2023, leading to steals and triples in big numbers. He’s willing to go all-out when his speed is needed defensively, too, but below-average arm strength and other actions have kept him from sticking to one spot in pro ball. Black got looks at both third and first base in ’23 with Milwaukee trying to find a path for him toward MLB. If he does end up at the cold corner, he’ll be an unorthodox one with his speed and power profile but still a potentially valuable high-OBP asset there.
At Wright State, Black batted .353 over 500 career plate appearances and was the 2019 Horizon League Freshman of the Year. The Brewers took him 33rd overall in 2021 and signed him for exact slot at $2.2 million. He looked like his typical self at High-A Wisconsin to begin his first full season in 2022, only to suffer a left scapula fracture in July that ended his year early. Black returned for the Arizona Fall League, but a fractured left thumb ended that trip after 17 games.
Batting from the left side with a sizable leg kick, Black blends plate discipline, bat speed and hand-eye coordination to pick up hits and walks at impressive rates. He sported a 44/45 K/BB ratio over 283 plate appearances with Wisconsin, making him one of only two Brewers Minor Leaguers (minimum 250 PA) to walk more than he struck out in 2022. His .406 OBP was also tops among the group, beating out Sal Frelick (.403). While there is close to average raw power, Black’s profile prioritizes contact over power, and he may just squeak by with double-digit homers at his peak.
Drafted as a second baseman, the Ontario native also saw time at third base and the outfield in 2022, as Milwaukee tried to find a spot best suited for his plus speed, which he's used to great effect at the upper levels this season. (Notably, 14 of his 17 starts in the AFL came on the grass, and he's continued to get ample looks at the hot corner in 2023.) He still isn’t a perfect fit at any spot, and a lack of arm strength limits him further. Black’s bat puts him on the cusp of everyday territory in the Majors, but finding a position will be key.
A former hockey player, the Ontario native began his time at Wright State as the 2019 Horizon League Freshman of the Year, having hit .353 with only 18 strikeouts in 52 games. He dropped into a 13-game slump the following spring before the pandemic canceled the season, only to jump right back and hit .383/.496/.683 with 13 homers over 48 games in his Draft year. The Brewers selected Black 33rd overall and signed him for exact slot at $2.2 million. He didn’t perform to the same level as college over 23 games at Low-A Carolina (.222/.388/.272, 101 wRC+), in part due to late-summer fatigue, but he did manage to reach base at a solid clip. He was off to a good start at High-A Wisconsin in his first full season and was likely to be promoted in July, but a left scapula fracture ruled him out for the rest of the regular season.
Black’s plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills instantly became some of the best in the Milwaukee system. Even with a leg kick in his swing, he sees balls well and utilizes good bat speed and strength to make hard contact. He could pick up enough hits and walks to threaten for a .300 average and .400 OBP in the pros. The swing has strength and leverage too, and 15-homer seasons could be within reach.
Black is just an average runner but will be a threat to pick up the odd steal and extra base. He spent time at second, short and third at Wright State, and the Brewers were giving him looks at second, third and even center field before the latest injury. A below-average arm likely keeps him at second or center, but the versatility, along with the bat, should guide his ascent toward Milwaukee when he returns to regular-season play in 2023.
The son of Canadian sports broadcaster Rod Black, Tyler was a talented hockey defenseman before leaving the ice to focus on baseball. The 2019 Horizon League freshman of the year, he slumped during the shortened 2020 season but has rebounded to establish himself as one of the best left-handed college bats in the Midwest. Taken 33rd overall by the Brewers in July, he gave Wright State its fourth position player drafted in the top four rounds in the last five years, following Sean Murphy (Athletics, 2016), Peyton Burdick (Marlins, 2019) and Seth Gray (Twins, 2019).
Black masterfully controls the strike zone from the left side of the plate, making regular hard contact while drawing plenty of walks. He has enough bat speed, strength and leverage in his 6-foot-2 frame to produce 15 homers on an annual basis. He made a good impression by doubling in two at-bats off Kumar Rocker of Vanderbilt on Opening Day and by drawing seven walks in five games against Southeastern Conference opposition to start the season.
While he possesses average speed, Black has the instincts to steal and take extra bases when given the opportunity. He played second base as a freshman before moving to third base in 2020, and now he's back at the keystone following surgery on his throwing shoulder. His arm is merely average so he fits better at second, where his quickness and hands are assets with turning the double play.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here
