Tyler Black Needs Playing Time In 2025, Here's How The Brewers Can Do It

[Matt Breen]

Tyler Black needs to play for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2025.

Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Like what the Brewers did with Jackson Chourio in 2024, the club needs to give Tyler Black regular playing time with plenty of leash so he can develop into a reliable player going forward. If Black can become a regular in the Brewers lineup, it’s possible he could hit .270-.280 with 12-15 home runs and 25 stolen bases. No, he won’t smash 30 home runs but he could be an above-average bat and a threat on the basepaths. 

So, how does Black get playing time in 2025? 

The biggest challenge for Black is his defensive position. He’s played third base, second base, first base and outfield. The latter, outfield (specifically left field), is probably where he is best suited. The problem is that the team has a bevy of Gold-Glove caliber outfielders, including Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Blake Perkins, and Sal Frelick. And then there is Christian Yelich.

Regarding the latter, it would be best if Yelich was limited to designated hitter to maximize his chances of staying healthy. The Brewers need Yelich’s bat to win in 2025.

So, where does that leave Milwaukee? 

Well, let’s start with a couple of assumptions. First, Willy Adames is gone. The Crew will not pay him $25 million annually for five or six seasons. Second, Turang and Ortiz will man the second base and shortstop positions. 

That leaves us with the following: 

• Rhys Hoskins (who recently triggered his 2025 option): 130-140 starts at first base
• Yelich: 130-140 starts at designated hitter
• A free agent signing or trade to fill third base

This leaves Black the option to get the following starts:

• 20-30 games at first base
• 20-30 games at designated hitter
• 20-30 games at third base
• 20 games in left field

That would give Black 80-130 starts, plus pinch-hitting. And there will, undoubtedly, be injuries, giving him other opportunities. Given that Black bats left-handed, the team will likely want to sit him against lefty starters in favor of right-handed options, which makes it difficult to see him ever becoming a 150-game starter.

While his position may be unpredictable, it would be necessary for him to be in the lineup regularly. He has nothing else to prove at Triple-A Nashville, so the team needs to let his development continue at the big-league level.

For Black, the biggest question is whether he can actually handle the defensive positions at an acceptable level. That’s not given. The Brewers have been moving him around the field and don’t seem happy about his performance with the glove. 

As noted, the best position for Black may ultimately be left field. But at this point, he is only going to get out there on rare occasions due to the quality of players ahead of him. It may signal a need to use him as trade bait to acquire a third baseman or a pitcher. 

Otherwise, Black has an opportunity to become a super-utility player. The team must allow him to play most days and be prepared for some growing pains. In the end, if the Brewers do that, the team should be rewarded with a quality bat, provided they can find a defensive position in the lineup.

 

View full article

 

[TURBO]

Not a chance he gets 20-30 starts at 3B.  I think that ship has sailed.

[brewmann04]

Full time DH ?

[Matt Breen]

46 minutes ago, brewmann04 said:

Full time DH ?

What do you do with Yelich? Does he stick in the OF? Legit idea, just wondering thoughts.

[Trax]

It would nice to be able to move Hoskins but with that contract not likely.  Black's lack of power doesn't fit great with 1B but if the bat is humming it would get him in the lineup.  I think we're at the point with Yeli he may find much more time as DH and if not him I don't think Black has earned the designation at least for now.   I think Black is still at the point where he needs to earn and prove his status bat wise.  He's not a 3rd baseman.  He is a prime candidate to be moved in a trade, part of a package likely.  

[Matt Breen]

15 hours ago, TURBO said:

Not a chance he gets 20-30 starts at 3B.  I think that ship has sailed.

This may well be. It's hard to get a gauge of what position(s) the club is willing to let Black play at the major league level. 

 

[sveumrules]

Last year Bauers got 60 starts at 1B, nine in the OF, and eight at DH, plus 33 pinch hit appearances which added up to 346 PAs.

I’d plan to divvy up the starts something like this entering the season…

First Base
Hoskins (100) Black (62)

Designated Hitter
Yelich (70) Contreras (42) Hoskins (25) Black (25)

That would give Black ten extra starts over Bauers last year, which should get him up around 400 PAs for the year.

[jay87shot]

44 minutes ago, sveumrules said:

Last year Bauers got 60 starts at 1B, nine in the OF, and eight at DH, plus 33 pinch hit appearances which added up to 346 PAs.

I’d plan to divvy up the starts something like this entering the season…

First Base
Hoskins (100) Black (62)

Designated Hitter
Yelich (70) Contreras (42) Hoskins (25) Black (25)

That would give Black ten extra starts over Bauers last year, which should get him up around 400 PAs for the year.

I agree, I would bet Yeli starts like 100 games at DH assuming he doesn't get hurt and Contreras is less.

Black= 62 1st, 20-30 DH, 5-10 OF, 2-5 2B/3B That puts him around 100 with injuries making the potential for more. With maybe like 20-30 pinch hitting appearance that should be enough playing time to see what he can do. Then next year the door is open for full time 1st or a trade to a team with an OF opening. 

[yourout]

First thing he needs to do is fix that stupid massive front leg lift.

Till then it wont matter because he will continue to get eaten alive by speed change.

[True Blue Brew Crew]

I'm just trying to figure out why the accompanying photo is of Frelick

[Thurston Fluff]

7 hours ago, Trax said:

It would nice to be able to move Hoskins but with that contract not likely.  Black's lack of power doesn't fit great with 1B but if the bat is humming it would get him in the lineup.  I think we're at the point with Yeli he may find much more time as DH and if not him I don't think Black has earned the designation at least for now.   I think Black is still at the point where he needs to earn and prove his status bat wise.  He's not a 3rd baseman.  He is a prime candidate to be moved in a trade, part of a package likely.  

Hoskins contract isn't that much of an impediment. They can pick up part of the contract and still get some salary relief if all else fails. I'm sure there would be some team willing to take Hoskins for $8 million for example. While paying $10 million for him to be on another team isn't optimal no need to compound the mistake. It still leaves us with $8 million to spend elsewhere.

[CheezWizHed]

Pains me to say it, but...

[CheezWizHed]

6 minutes ago, CheezWizHed said:

Pains me to say it, but...

And this post was my 10,000 BF post, earning me the "Loudmouth" badge. I guess it fits! 😂

[BrewerFan]

36 minutes ago, Thurston Fluff said:

Hoskins contract isn't that much of an impediment. They can pick up part of the contract and still get some salary relief if all else fails. I'm sure there would be some team willing to take Hoskins for $8 million for example. While paying $10 million for him to be on another team isn't optimal no need to compound the mistake. It still leaves us with $8 million to spend elsewhere.

I just don't want to be reactionary. He had the worst year of his career coming off an ACL. It's an additional 14M to the payroll. You start hacking away further and...it really doesn't make sense to me to eat more of that money and spend..8 M if a trade leaves us paying 10M to facilitate a trade. 

You get rid of Hoskins and I'd be willing to bet he goes somewhere else, puts up an 800 OPS again, hits 25-30 HRs and you're left with a hole at 1B.

 

As for Black being Hiura...I don't think he is....but we're not going to know until he gets regular playing time. We at least gave Keston a couple chances. Black's not really been given that yet...and I don't see a scenario in which he has the holes in his swing that Keston does, but nobody's mind is going to be able to be changed in the off-season with ~50 ABs in his MLB career.

They're similar in that they don't have a definitive home. The Brewers have seemingly been moving him around with an eye on the short term future to where they MIGHT need him. 

[sveumrules]

31 minutes ago, CheezWizHed said:

Pains me to say it, but...

In a macro sense as bat only no defense kind of players, sure.

Black has way better contact, patience and base running skills.

Hiura has better raw power.

Ideally Tyler's broader base of skills gives him a higher floor, but it's certainly no guarantee.

[Jim French Stepstool]

9 hours ago, sveumrules said:

Last year Bauers got 60 starts at 1B, nine in the OF, and eight at DH, plus 33 pinch hit appearances which added up to 346 PAs.

I’d plan to divvy up the starts something like this entering the season…

First Base
Hoskins (100) Black (62)

Designated Hitter
Yelich (70) Contreras (42) Hoskins (25) Black (25)

That would give Black ten extra starts over Bauers last year, which should get him up around 400 PAs for the year.

I think this breakdown might be close to how he's used assuming he isn't dealt. And despite his value not being what it was at, say, this time last year I wouldn't rule out him being part of a trade. I just don't know if him not fitting the defensive profile the team likes will allow him to be part of the plan. And while LF might be his best landing spot the OF isn't exactly a spot of need.

[Thurston Fluff]

20 hours ago, BrewerFan said:

I just don't want to be reactionary. He had the worst year of his career coming off an ACL. It's an additional 14M to the payroll. You start hacking away further and...it really doesn't make sense to me to eat more of that money and spend..8 M if a trade leaves us paying 10M to facilitate a trade. 

You get rid of Hoskins and I'd be willing to bet he goes somewhere else, puts up an 800 OPS again, hits 25-30 HRs and you're left with a hole at 1B.

 

 

 

Keep in mind this is all premised on needing to find playing time for Black. If trading Hoskins would leave a hole at first there is already a hole at third. We have a viable inexpensive option at first in Black. While there is risk in trusting a rookie there is also a risk Hoskins isn't an 800 OPS guy next season. If that $8 million gets us a better option at third and Black turns out to be serviceable at first the combination of both would probably be better overall than an 800 OPS poor fielding first baseman would be on his own in either event. All that assumes we'd have to pick up over half his contract. I'm not so sure that's the case though the more we pick up the better the return.