Team Canada adds Brewers' first baseman to their 2026 World Baseball Classic roster

2026 is an important year for Milwaukee Brewers first baseman and corner outfielder Tyler Black. The 33rd overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Black entered the Brewers' farm system with high expectations after a strong collegiate career at Wright State.

Throughout his time in the minor leagues, Black met those lofty expectations, climbing as high as the 46th spot on MLB Pipeline's list of the Top 100 prospects in baseball. That ranking followed a 2023 season, during which Black posted an impressive .930 OPS in 123 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. That same season, Black posted 88 walks to 100 strikeouts and swiped 55 bags, clearly displaying his two best attributes: plate discipline and speed.

With a spot among the league's top prospects and an assignment to Triple-A to start the 2024 campaign, Black was destined to make his MLB debut before the end of the season. On April 30, 2024, his highly anticipated debut arrived, and Black didn't disappoint; he collected two hits, including a double, in four plate appearances, and scored a run. However, following his debut, Black cooled off quickly and a week later, he was back in Triple-A. Another brief stint with the major league squad later in the season didn't go much better for Black, but with less than 50 MLB at-bats to his name and consistently strong numbers in Triple-A, optimism still remained that the top prospect would be an important part of the Brewers' roster in 2025.

A frustrating hand injury delayed his 2025 campaign, starting what was an important season for Black on the wrong foot. After easing back into game-action with an extended stint in the Arizona Complex League, Black didn't make his first Triple-A start until mid-June. The now-25-year-old Black got off to a slow start with the Nashville Sounds, but picked things up as the summer went on and was called up to the big leagues for two brief stints -- one in late-July and one in mid-August. However, the presence of Andrew Vaughn on the Brewers roster made playing time hard to come by for Black, and in the end, he was given just eight MLB at-bats during the 2025 season.

Which brings us to 2026, a year some might call a "make-or-break" season for the former first-round pick. Luckily for Black, his 2026 season will get off to an exciting start one way or another, as the Ontario native was just selected to be a part of Team Canada's World Baseball Classic roster this coming spring, as initially reported by Shi Davidi of sportsnet.ca.

Tyler Black named to Team Canada's 2026 WBC roster ahead of important 2026 season

The WBC serves as an excellent opportunity for Black to log some at-bats in meaningful games this spring against some of the best pitchers in the world. Given the fact that his selection comes as a result of Freddie Freeman withdrawing from his spot on Team Canada's roster, it's likely that Black will be manning first base for the squad this spring.

Defense remains the biggest question mark for Black and a large reason why he hasn't received more opportunities at the big-league level. A second baseman at Wright State, Black played much of his minor league career at third base, but learned first base when his defense at the hot corner started to slip. However, many believe that his best defensive home, given his impressive athleticism and speed, is in a corner outfield spot.

With Vaughn and Jake Bauers likely forming a platoon at first base for the Brewers, and questions about Garrett Mitchell's health as well as the departure of Isaac Collins opening up more opportunities in the outfield in 2026, it's likely Milwaukee will elect to have Black play plenty of left field this spring, even if he does end up playing first base for Team Canada.

Regardless of where he plays defensively, there's still a lot to like about Black's profile as a hitter. His aforementioned elite plate discipline isn't going anywhere, and his bat-to-ball skills remain incredibly strong. Though he's lacking in the power department compared to most big league first basemen or corner outfielders, the speed he possesses is unique for someone who mans one of those two positions. With the Brewers hoping for a breakout from Black in 2026, his participation in the upcoming WBC is certainly an encouraging development.