Play multiple sports, kids.
The Brewers’ second selection on Sunday, Wright State University second baseman Tyler Black, was a talented defenseman in hockey before focusing on baseball. At No. 33 overall, Black was the first player born in Canada selected in this year’s Draft. And he was the second former hockey player to be drafted by Milwaukee on Sunday; first-rounder Sal Frelick also played the sport in high school in Massachusetts.
On MLB Network’s coverage of the Draft, Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin mentioned this lofty comp for Black, a left-handed hitting, offense-first player: Fellow Canadian Joey Votto.
“Certainly, we’re looking for athletic players who can play around the field,” Brewers scouting director Tod Johnson said. “And also, guys that can hit. We think we got two guys today that can really hit. That’s always a big piece of it as well.”