One of baseball’s youngest and most experienced rosters just got even younger and more inexperienced.
Looking to bolster an offense that’s held to three or fewer runs 10 times in its last 14 games, the Milwaukee Brewers called up infielder Tyler Black from Triple-A Nashville Tuesday ahead of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays at American Family Field.
Black, 23, was ranked fourth among Milwaukee’s Top 30 prospects by MLBPipeline.com in large part because of his powerful presence at the plate. In 117 plate appearances for Nashville this season, Black slashed .303/.393/.525 with three triples, five home runs and 18 RBIs while compiling a .919 OPS.
The 33rd overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft has an .884 OPS over parts of four minor league seasons. He’s also quick, with 77 steals over the course of his minor-league career including 55 last season, which makes him an ideal fit for a Brewers squad that has developed an aggressive identity on the basepaths under new manager Pat Murphy.
“He’s coming on,” Murphy said. “He’s a really good athlete and moves really well left to right. It’s just experience that he lacks. That’s kind of a theme for us.”
Black joins a roster full of young, promising talent that includes Ortiz, recently a top prospect in the Orioles’ system, and former first-round picks Brice Turang and Sal Frelick as well as outfielder Jackson Chourio, with whom Black shared organizational Minor League Player of the Year honors in 2023.
Another former first-rounder, outfielder Garrett Mitchell, is currently on Milwaukee’s injured list.
“I think it’s really exciting,” Murphy said. “I hope the fan base embraces it because there’s some really exciting players you can see here for years to come. It’s their first crack at it.”
Black wasn’t in the starting lineup Tuesday night but didn’t have to wait long to get his first taste of big league action. After designated hitter Gary Sanchez singled with one out in the first, Murphy sent the youngster into the game as a pinch-runner.
“I feel like I belong here,” Black said prior to the game. “I’m ready to play baseball.”
To make room for Black on the active roster, the Brewers optioned infielder Owen Miller to Nashville.