Brewers’ Tyler Black Gets Feet Wet Ahead Of 2022 Season

The stats—.241 average, one home run, eight RBIs in 26 games—certainly weren’t eye-popping.

But for second baseman Tyler Black, the number that truly mattered was 26, as in professional games logged after the Brewers drafted him in the supplemental first round from Wright State.

“Just getting my feet wet was huge,” he said. “I kind of went into this offseason with an open mind, knowing what I have to do to get better.”

And what does that look like for the 21-year-old?

“First thing, be more in shape,” he said. “(I’m) just trying to get my body in shape to hold up for a full summer. And then, obviously, my arm coming off shoulder surgery (in 2020), I really want to improve that.

“That feels great. Better than ever. And then obviously my approach, things with my swing.”

It was the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Black’s bat that caught Milwaukee’s attention heading into the draft, and what the club expects will carry him as he begins his ascent.

“I don’t even know that we saw the true Tyler Black,” Brewers vice president of minor league operations Tom Flanagan said. “But what we did see synced up with what the scouts said—good-looking hitter, decent actions on the infield. A guy you’re excited about, although obviously we need to see more.”

Black spent most of 2021 with Low-A Carolina, and it’s a safe bet that he will be ticketed there to start the season.

There’s a chance the Brewers could look at him some at third base as well if his arm holds up—he had labrum repair in May of 2020 that sidelined him for seven months at Wright State—but the belief is his future remains at second base.

“I mean, I’m just going to leave all my options open right now,” Black said. “That’s another thing—just staying athletic, staying ready.

“Wherever I’m at, I’ll help the team win.”

 

MICROBREWS

— The Brewers on Feb. 23 opened a “build-up camp” for around 60 invited players at their Maryvale complex in Phoenix. It functioned as a sort of lead-in to regular spring training camp for some of their top prospects and 2020 and 2021 draftees.

Two big names—lefthander Aaron Ashby and catcher Mario Feliciano—were barred from taking part because they are on the 40-man roster.

— Catcher Jeferson Quero, a 19-year-old whom the Brewers are tremendously high on, was seeing partial action in the early camp as he finishes up recovery on his surgically repaired left shoulder.

Quero is expected to be a full spring participant once games begin on March 19.