Detroit Tigers: Top 20 prospects going into the 2020 season
By Tyler Kotila
Riley Greene, OF, Single-A in 2019
The most recent of Detroit Tigers’ first-round draft pick comes in the form of Riley Greene, who was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft. Greene was noted as the purest bat to come out of high school besides number two overall pick Bobby Witt Jr. He was selected out of Hagerty high school in Oviedo, Florida, and jumped right into the Tigers system after signing for just over $6 million.
Greene is a 6-foot-3, with 200-pound outfielder who has spent his minimal minor league career patrolling centerfield. He played with three teams within the organization, starting in rookie ball, moving to Single-A Connecticut (Norwich), and also playing with Single-A West Michigan. In total, Greene would log fifty-seven games, hitting 271/.347/.403 with five home runs, and 28 RBI.
Looking at his swing, Greene has a very pure explosive swing that starts with a quick stride, low to the ground with a minimal leg kick. He possesses an incredibly raw set of tools that is going to take some development. The thing about these tools is that his ceiling is incredibly high, especially when looking at the raw power that Greene can showcase.
In terms of defense, this is Greene’s worst tool with a mediocre arm that will need some development. His range and speed have him profiled to become a corner outfielder even though he played centerfield predominantly in 2019 with the two different affiliates. He is quite athletic and has the ability to develop since it will be a while before Greene gets anywhere near the big leagues.
MLB Expectation: The Tigers do not have the next Mike Trout in the making with Greene, but he has an incredibly high ceiling. Greene profiles to be an exceptional run-producing hitter for the Detroit Tigers future if his development goes as planned and his raw tools become more defined. Defensively, look for Greene to end up as a left fielder, most likely due to the lack of arm strength that may not be able to be developed much during his path to the big leagues.