MESA, Ariz. – There’s nothing like a six-RBI afternoon – including a rare, three-run single – to boost a hitter’s confidence. That’s just what Brewers bench hopeful Tyler Black is seeking this spring.
Black made the most of three at-bats at HoHoKam Stadium, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and six RBIs in a 10-0 win over the Athletics. He hit a two-run homer, a three-run single – yes, single – and capped his day with a run-scoring double as Milwaukee logged its first Cactus League victory after an 0-4 start.
“Anytime you have a big day at the yard,” Black said, “it will put a big smile on your face. It’s just one day. I have to build on it.”
He spent the winter at home in Toronto training with a group of professional players that included Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong and Athletics center fielder Denzel Clarke, who just happened to be the one charging toward Black’s bases-loaded hit to right-center field in the third inning. While the Brewers’ baserunners chugged home, Black opted against testing his friend by going for second.
“I decided to throw on the parachute there,” Black said with a laugh.
The result was a rarity. Only twice last season was a hitter credited with a three-run single, according to MLB.com’s research desk. A Brewers player hasn’t hit one in a regular-season game since B.J. Surhoff on Aug. 13, 1995.
Black’s hitability and speed were his best assets when the Brewers drafted him 33rd overall in 2021 out of Wright State, and he has an .841 OPS across five seasons in the Minors. But it has not translated to the Majors in a very small sample. Black has hit .211/.357/.263 in 23 games over the past two years, struggling to stick in part because defense isn’t his strong suit.
He primarily plays first base and left field, plus third base in an emergency. With Christian Yelich lined up to be the Brewers’ designated hitter again this year, it leaves only a narrow path to the roster for Black, who will first suit up for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic.
He’s still just 25 years old.
“It’s been a really small sample, and the biggest thing for me is not looking too much into it,” Black said. “It’s tough being up and down a lot of times, for a lot of guys. But I’m continuing to show up with my process. Get better every year and learn. Every time I go down, I try to take something from the vets, from playing against guys. I’m learning, for sure.”
What does he think it will take to get back to the big leagues and stick this time?
“Just get back to myself,” he said. “A lot of times, for a lot of hitters, trying to do too much is definitely a thing. I’m not a home run-type of guy. I try to hit the ball hard and steal a lot of bases. And I’ll run into some [homers]. It’s realizing that, realizing who I am, and building on that. I’m confident in who I am.”
And that matters, whether it’s the Cactus League or the Major Leagues.
“Black has enough power to be an everyday player, there’s no doubt,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “But how that comes out, it’s all about how he develops as a hitter. We knew he has it in there.”