Betts: Black honoured to join buddy Julien as Randy Echlin Award winner
For his outstanding season split between double-A and triple-A in the Milwaukee Brewers’ organization, Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) has been named the Canadian Baseball Network’s 2023 Randy Echlin Award winner as top Canadian hitter in the affiliated minor league ranks.
February 9, 2024
By Matt Betts
Canadian Baseball Network
Tyler Black was in Arizona at the Milwaukee Brewers facility when he found out he’d been named the Canadian Baseball Network Randy Echlin Award winner as the top Canadian hitter in the affiliated minor league ranks.
That should come as no surprise though, as Black has used a skillset centered around hard work to become a Toronto Met, Wright State University Raider and now one of the top prospects in all of baseball.
“My initial reaction was I thought it was a pretty big honour to win that award,” Black said.
Black had eight first-place votes for 40 points, while Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.), of double-A Tennessee, was second with 20 points. And in third was Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, BC), who played at triple-A Buffalo and double-A New Hampshire. Palmegiani had the other first-place vote.
It comes on the heels of being named the Brewers Co-Minor League Player of the Year alongside the recently signed Jackson Chourio. Chourio inked an eight-year, $82-million deal with the team in December before ever playing a game in the big leagues.
Black joins a group of award winners that have already made their presence felt on the game’s biggest stage. In fact, the last eight winners have all appeared in the big leagues, from Edouard Julien (Quebec, Que.), Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.), Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.), Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC) and Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, Ont.).
O’Neill, who the Toronto Blue Jays will be seeing a lot more of after an offseason trade from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Boston Red Sox, took home the honour three straight years from 2015 to 2017.
But it’s Minnesota Twins infielder Julien who Black connects with most, having spent time together in the Arizona Fall League in 2022.
Julien led the AFL in average at .400, OPS at 1.249, runs scored with 24 and walks with 23. It was a performance that earned him the league’s Breakout Player of the Year.
A few short months later he was making his big league debut after the Twins recalled him on April 4, 2023.
“It means a lot to be included with those big names of the past winners, especially Eddy Julien,” Black said. “That’s my guy. We played in the AFL together, so anytime I can be included with that legend it’s huge.”
While Black didn’t put up quite the same numbers, he still hit .279.
Combine it with what he’s done since, which includes a .284 average and 55 stolen bases across double-A and triple-A last season, and he’s now on the cusp of following Julien’s path to Major League Baseball.
On a recent episode of the Canadian Baseball Network podcast, Black was asked if he thought he was ready to make the jump.
His answer without hesitation was yes.
The path is certainly there for the upcoming season thanks to his defensive versatility which includes third base. According to the Brewers depth chart, their current primary option at the hot corner is Andruw Monasterio who has just 92 games of big league experience of his own under his belt.
With spring training looming, Black is focused on trying to put himself in the best position possible to climb the final rung of the minor league ladder.
“I honestly don’t have many expectations for spring training, I’m just going to do what I usually do and get ready for the season and hopefully it’s in Milwaukee,” he said.
“In 2024, I’m hoping to play every day and continue to get better every day.”
Previous Winners
Offensive Player Of The Year (Affiliated Minor Leagues)
(Starting in 2011 the award was named after the The Honourable Mr. Justice Randall Echlin, former head of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame selection committee and a man with a baseball-shaped heart the size of a box of new Rawlings.)
2008 _ Tim Smith (Toronto, Ont.) Rangers.
2009 _ Tyson Gillies (Langley, BC) Mariners.
2010 _ Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) Brewers.
2011 _ Taylor Green (Comox, BC) Brewers and Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) Jays.
2012 _ Oscar Taveras (Montreal, Que.) Cardinals.
2013 _ Sean Jamieson (Simcoe, Ont.) Diamondbacks.
2014 _ Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, Ont.) Blue Jays.
2015 _ Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC) Mariners.
2016 _ Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC) Mariners.
2017 _ Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC) Mariners/Cardinals and Vladimir Guerrero (Montreal, Que.) Blue Jays.
2018 _ Vladimir Guerrero (Montreal, Que.) Blue Jays.
2019 _ Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) Astros.
2020 _ Minor league seasons cancelled, COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 _ Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) Blue Jays.
2022 _ Edouard Julien (Quebec, Que.), Twins
(Bold face indicates major league service time.)