Brewers Video
No, Brewer Hicklen probably isn't the next Blake Perkins, or Tobias Myers. He came into the Brewers organization at an older age than either of their recent, notable scrapheap scoop-ups, and there isn't a tool in his profile quite as impressive as Perkins's glove. He's striking out 28 percent of the time for Triple-A Nashville this year, and his numbers at that level are fine, but not extraordinary--especially adjusting for his age.
Yet, Hicklen provides a potential dynamic for the Milwaukee offense that has often gone missing this season. His 90th-percentile exit velocity is 105.5 miles per hour. He's consistently lifted the ball, hit it hard, and accepted his walks. A right-handed hitter, he's a natural platoon partner for Sal Frelick or Garrett Mitchell--or at least, a nice option off the bench if one of those two is scheduled to see a tough left-handed pitcher late in a game.
By contrast, Tyler Black is a lot like Frelick, Mitchell, or Brice Turang--too much so, many would argue. Though a much younger player and more heralded prospect than Hicklen, Black has spent the season wrestling with a persistent inability to generate lift and jolt, at least in a way that will translate to MLB. He's also a left-handed batter, as they all are. There's not much that Black can deliver that isn't already accounted for by the existing players on the big-league roster.
Black has been the one the team tries to carve a place for, though. They clearly want to make it work with him. There's good news, should they go that way: Both Black and Hicklen have great speed and know how to put it to use on the bases. Though Hicklen's age and build don't make him feel like a high-end speedster, he's 41-for-46 on steal attempts for Triple-A Nashville this year. Black, too, can get on base and then create value with his legs. They'll find ways to chip in, as soon as the team finds a way to include one of them.
That will happen Saturday, when rosters expand to 28 players for the month of September. The Brewers can (and certainly will) add one pitcher when they make that expansion, but the other extra job has to go to a position player. Black and Hicklen are the most interesting candidates. The team could also, theoretically, reach for infielder Vinny Capra, but that feels almost unthinkable at the moment, barring an infield injury.
While continuing to offer Black chances to adjust to big-league pitching and establish himself makes some sense, he hasn't taken advantage of those opportunities. Nor is he a good fit for the roster, in any successful form currently within reach for him. It's Hicklen who would enliven the lineup and deepen the bench. He has no big-league experience except a handful of at-bats with the Royals two years ago. This weekend, the Brewers should change that, with an eye toward evaluating and bringing along Hicklen for a potential playoff role.
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