Blue Jays Nation’s countdown of the top Canadian baseball prospects entering 2025 winds down with an infielder who had a taste of the Major Leagues in 2024.

Hometown: Toronto, Ont.

Organization: Milwaukee Brewers

Position: 1st base/3rd base

Acquired: 1st round, 2021 draft (MIL)

Black represents the second Milwaukee Brewers prospect on the rankings list, as well as the second player on this list to have appeared in the big leagues last year. Originally taken with the 33rd pick in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Wright State, Black inked a $2.2 million signing bonus and began his professional career. The son of longtime TSN sportscaster Rod Black has used his patient approach and plus speed to move his way up the minor league ladder in quick fashion.

After a 23-game stint in single-A after being drafted, Black hit the ground running in his first full season in 2022. Through 64 games in high-A, he slashed .281/.406/.424 while swiping 13 bases. He likely would have earned a call-up to double-A if not for an injury in July that ended his season. However, he did return to health in time to participate in the Arizona Fall League (AFL), slashing .279/.413/.377 through 17 games.

The 2023 season was a true breakout for the six-foot-one Ontario native. He started the year in double-A Biloxi, terrorizing pitchers to the tune of a .273/.412/.513 slash line, including 14 home runs and a whopping 47 steals in just 84 games. This earned Black a call up to triple-A Nashville, where his numbers continued to get better. Through 39 games, he managed a .310/.428/.514 line while bopping an additional four homers and swiping eight bags. Among all minor league players with 500 plate appearances, MLB Pipeline’s #5 ranked Brewers prospect placed 10th in OPS (.930) and 8th in stolen bases (55).

After his fantastic 2023 season, the left-handed hitting infielder was on the cusp of the Major Leagues entering 2024. After earning an invite to Spring Training, Black began the year back in Nashville where he got off to a torrid start to the season (.303/.393/.525). The hot-hitting earned him a call-up to Milwaukee, where he made his debut at home against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Black’s first game couldn’t have gone much better, as he laced a double to center in his first at-bat after replacing Gary Sanchez in the batting order, following up with a single in his next at-bat to start his career. Black became just the 12th Canadian since 1901 to earn multiple hits in his debut, ending the night 2-4 after a couple of deep flyouts. Perhaps most notably, his dad was in attendance, and had the chance to have a memorable call while being interviewed during his son’s second at-bat:

Despite the heartwarming debut, Black was sent back down to Nashville on May 8th, only to get called back up on three different occasions throughout the rest of the summer. All told, he slashed .204/.316/.245 across his 18 games in the big leagues in 2024. His triple-A numbers were still solid, although they did somewhat decline from his 2023 totals. Across 103 games, he produced a .258/.375/.429 line, with his power (14 homers) and stolen base (20) numbers taking a hit.

Black’s minor league numbers show that he is easily one of the top Canadian hitters. However, some questions remain about what kind of player he will blossom into in the major leagues.

Regarding his offensive game, his biggest strength is his ability to get on base. He combines a plus hit tool with a keen eye at the plate, leading to an excellent .402 career minor league on-base percentage. He has also walked (220) nearly as often as he has struck out (262), which tends to bode well for hitters as they advance to the major leagues.

Black’s power at the plate is noticeable but he may be a guy who blossoms into a 20-home run a season type of hitter over time. Furthermore, it remains to be seen if he will be a difference-maker on the basepaths going forward. The Brewers are a team that has loved to run in recent years, so perhaps the 24-year-old is in the best spot to maximize his potential. His drop-off in stolen base production from 2023 to 2024 may have been a product of being sent up and down several times throughout the year.

One of the bigger question marks with Black’s game is where he plays defensively. He played mostly second base while at Wright State, but the Brewers haven’t played him at the keystone since the 2022 season. The team seemed to entertain moving him to the outfield, earning some playing time in high-A as well as in the AFL in the fall of 2022. However, he was primarily a third base in 2023, logging 97 starts while making 13 errors. The numbers don’t seem bad at a glance, but the Brewers may be souring on playing him at the hot corner as well, with most of his playing time coming at first base in 2024.

Black’s offensive profile will of course change depending on what position he ends up settling into. His on-base skills and average power may be atypical for first base, but it does resemble a similar prototype that Spencer Horwitz brought to the Blue Jays in 2024.

Black will have to earn a job with the Brewers out of Spring Training, where he will likely battle for the starting first base job with incumbent starter Rhys Hoskins. Given the latter’s struggles in 2024, the team may be eager to move forward with the younger option. If he isn’t able to crack the Opening Day roster, Black would return to triple-A, where he’d be one of the first guys called up if an injury occurs.

3. Denzel Clarke

4. Matt Wilkinson

5. Mitch Bratt

6. Adam Macko

7. Myles Naylor

8. Jonah Tong

9. Dylan O’Rae

10. Dante Nori

11. Erik Sabrowski

12. Damiano Palmegiani

13. Eric Cerantola

14. Dasan Brown

15. Émilien Pitre

16. Adam Maier

17. Liam Hicks

18. David McCabe

19. Calvin Ziegler

20. Jeremy Pilon