Competition breeds success for the Milwaukee Brewers , and a roster battle that was expected to be fierce has already met its first wrinkle.
Former first-round pick Tyler Black , who has only appeared in 23 games for the Brewers at the major league level over the last two seasons, has come out guns blazing in spring training. Entering play on Friday, he was sporting an 8-for-12 line at the plate with two doubles, a triple, a home run, and eight RBIs.
Combine his draft pedigree, spring performance, and opportunity to gain visibility with his trip to the World Baseball Classic next week, and it's impossible not to at least project Black as a serious candidate to make the opening day roster.
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Feb 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Tyler Black (7) scores on a double by second baseman David Hamilton (6) in the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The reality of Black's situation is that a few great games to start spring training shouldn't override the lack of offensive production he's had against top-level competition. He had a relatively disappointing .730 OPS at Triple-A in 61 games last year, after his season got off to a delayed start due to injury.
But the Brewers picked Black 33rd overall in the 2021 draft because they always believed he could be a big-leaguer. Manager Pat Murphy's quote about the 25-year-old after his 6-RBI outing earlier this week showed that the organization is quite far from giving up on him.
"Black has enough power to be an everyday player, there's no doubt," Murphy said on Wednesday, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. "But how that comes out, it's all about how he develops as a hitter. We knew he has it in there."
As a third baseman/outfielder, Black could be competing with the likes of David Hamilton , Blake Perkins , and trade pickup Jett Williams for his reps at the major league level this year. He also has an option remaining, so he'll need to keep showing out this spring to take an opening day roster spot away from those folks.
But as the old saying goes, "if you hit, you don't sit." If Black keeps getting the barrel to the ball, it will be hard to deny him his place in Milwaukee .
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/brewers/onsi as Brewers Fans Need to Start Paying Attention to Tyler Black .
