Greene graduated from Hagerty High School in Oviedo, Florida in 2019, with a commit to the Univ. of Florida Gators. And Riley is a very good student.

Riley is a big, athletic, long-limbed lean with strong shoulders and the quick-twitch actions evaluators love.

Greene has the drive and work that evaluators look for. He's the first guy at practice.

Riley has a very smooth and very compact lefty swing that sprays line drives all over the field. The expectation is he will grow into power and be an all-around hitter who hits for average, hits for power, and draws walks. What position will be play? Likely left field. Greene is not adept defensively and will need his bat to carry him.

2018: In nine games for Team USA, Greene hit .424/.548/.848, tied for the team high with three home runs and had a team-high 20 RBIs.

In 2019, Greene was the Gatorade Florida Baseball Player of the Year and a finalist for the National Player of the Year.

FIRST-ROUND PICK

June 2019: The Tigers chose Greene in the 1st round (#5 overall), out of Hagerty High School in Oviedo, FL. We went after C Adley Rutschman (O's), Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals), Andrew Vaughn (White Sox) and JJ Bleday (Marlins). 

June 5, 2019: The Tigers had just made their 11th-round pick when they announced that they had signed their first-rounder, via scout RJ Burgess. Greene’s deal includes a signing bonus of $6,180,700, the full slot value for the fifth overall selection.

The signing is not a surprise. Though Greene committed to play college ball at Florida way back when he was a freshman in high school, his comments after being drafted left little mystery his interests were in pro ball.

“My dream is to play professional baseball,” he said, “and I'm going to get a chance to do that now.”  (Beck - mlb.com)

Tigers scouting crosschecker James Orr had just moved to Oviedo, Fla, just outside Orlando, when University of Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan told him about a recruit. Riley had committed to the Gators as a freshman, and he was starting to get attention on the national scene.

That’s when the Tigers started tracking the Riley and his sweet swing. By the time he worked out for general manager Al Avila and other club officials, Detroit was convinced he could be the impact hitter to round out its rebuilding plan in the 2019 MLB Draft. And O’Sullivan was likely losing a recruit.

“Anybody that's ever seen Riley knows that he's been able to hit,” Orr said. He's hit with power, hit with average. He's got a great track record of hitting, as good as I've seen coming from a high school player.”  It was good enough to make Greene the Tigers’ first high school position player with a top-five pick since Tony Clark went second overall in 1990.

“Playing for the Tigers has always been a dream,” Greene said, “but my dream is to play professional baseball and I'm going to get a chance to do that now.”  Greene will likely take time to develop, more than the college hitters who went elsewhere among the top selections, but the Tigers believe he’ll be worth the wait when he arrives.  Scouting director Scott Pleis said, “Riley's got tremendous tools and potential to be a really good Major League player, and that's the way we looked at it.”

The son of a hitting instructor, Greene has a smooth left-handed swing that has been on display in summer showcases and tournaments. He won the Gatorade Player of the Year Award in Florida while batting .422 with eight home runs and 38 runs scored for Hagerty High School in Oviedo.  (Beck - mlb.com - 6/3/19)

June 7, 2019:  The first question posed to Riley at his introductory press conference upon signing with Detroit was whether he still wanted to play center field after looking out at the vast territory of Comerica Park. He smiled and said yes.  “Just seeing the stadium, walking on the concourse and everything, it’s just amazing,” Greene said.

A couple hours later, with half the Tigers' roster and front office watching, he got started on making the ballpark look small. “To me, [batting practice] is one of my favorite things to do, like, ever,” Greene cautioned.

After a few nervous swings to settle in, Greene hit his first ball out, his sweet left-handed swing sending a ball over the tunnel beyond the right-field corner.

A few swings later, Greene drove a ball toward the right-field power alley and well into the seats. Players took notice, from Nicholas Castellanos at the backstop and Niko Goodrum and Gordon Beckham in foul territory to Miguel Cabrera in the Tigers' dugout.

The gathering went silent for a second on Greene’s next swing, a towering drive that hit the Pepsi Porch atop right field. It looked like a throwback to Bobby Abreu’s Home Run Derby here in 2005, when Greene was four years old. “Leave him here,” Cabrera called out.

This is the power the Tigers saw from Greene when he worked out for club officials at the end of May 2019 in Lakeland, Fla. One of his drives at Joker Marchant Stadium reportedly hit the facing of the Tigers' administration building beyond right field.  It was batting practice off Tigers bench coach Steve Liddle. But for a young man just a few weeks out of high school, having just come to terms with where he is, it was impressive.

“The night of the Draft was amazing,” said Greene. “I was with a lot of my family and friends, and being able to spend that night with them was amazing. I think when I got home around 11:30, I was like, ‘Dang, I’m a professional baseball player.’ It just didn’t really hit me while I was there at the party. When I got that feeling, I was very excited to get started.”  (Beck - mlb.com)

When Greene stepped to the plate at Comerica Park to take batting practice in June 2019, he didn't know who was watching.

It wasn’t until he watched a video that he realized the yelling behind him was coming from Miguel Cabrera that Greene’s new job finally began to crystallize.

"When I was hitting, I didn't really hear him,” Greene said. "After I watched a video, I could hear him screaming in the background. I got to meet him after and that was even cooler. On TV he doesn't look that big and then you get up right next to him and he's like three times your size.”

In 2020, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Greene as the 4th-best prospect in the Tigers' organization. He was at #5 in 2021. And in 2022, he was the #1 Tigers prospect.

MLB.com: You're a young guy, here for minicamp at Spring Training 2020, you get a chance to play a little bit in the big league games. Did you expect to have this kind of success? What has this spring been like for you?

Greene: It's been a lot of fun. We got here early and we're just going out every day and grinding. The Minor League side is fun and the Major League side, so we're just going out and having fun. 

MLB.com: What was the feeling like when you hit a home run in your first official Spring Training at-bat, and then coming back and hitting another one a couple of days later?

Greene: It was pretty cool. You take it day by day usually, and that day I hit the home run. I got two walks, so I got to see the ball a little bit. It was awesome. Then the next day I came, I hit another home run too. That was even cooler. I got to hit in front of the fans so that was pretty cool.

MLB.com: You're a Florida guy, so has your family been able to come see you? Has that made it a little bit extra special?

Greene: My parents, my grandparents, my sister all have been able to come down.

MLB.com: Going into last year's Draft, did you have a sense that the Tigers might select you before it happened?

Greene: It was kind of just going and hoping I get picked the highest I possibly can. I didn't know that the Tigers were going to pick me, but I'm grateful that they did. It's a great organization, great players, great coaches, so I'm very fortunate.

MLB.com: You pretty much hit the ground running in pro ball from the start. How much do you think your amateur background helped you, particularly your success with Team USA and facing quality competition on the showcase circuit? Did you feel like you were fairly well prepared?

Greene: Oh yeah. Going to all those showcases and stuff, we're seeing 95-100 mph arms the whole entire time, so it's not like it was a big difference. I think it got me ready to go here and I'm very fortunate I got to do all of those things. 

MLB.com: What did you do in the 2019 offseason to prepare for this season?

Greene: Working out a lot, trying to get faster. I gained about 15 pounds. I was 195 and now I'm 208, 210, so I gained a little bit of weight. I worked on my timing a lot, just getting my hands in the right slot.

MLB.com: If you were a scout, how would you break down your game?  Do you feel like your speed and defense get taken for granted a little bit?

Greene: Yes, I feel like it does. I played a pretty good center field last season, I made some pretty good catches, I ran some balls down. I thought it went well, but hitting's kind of my game so it's going to be looked at more.

MLB.com: Do you see yourself as more of a hitter for average than power, or more power than average, or kind of a combination of both?

Greene: I think average mostly. I'll get into some balls occasionally but I think mostly average. 

MLB.com: What do you think you need to improve on the most? What are you looking to improve on this year?

Greene: My speed and my bat a little more. You can always get better at hitting and speed and throwing and everything. I'm going to work on my hitting a lot this year and hopefully get it to where I want it to be.  (Callis - mlb.com - 3/11/2020)

Oct 19, 2020: Riley Greene has been giving fellow Tigers top prospect Spencer Torkelson a ride to Tigertown each morning since the Florida instructional league began last week in Lakeland, Fla. Torkelson returned the favor by driving him home.

Torkelson’s first home run in a competitive pro game showed the big-time pull power that made the former Arizona State slugger the top pick in the MLB Draft this past summer. Despite a two-strike approach, he not only connected with a 2-2 fastball, but he sent it to the left-field berm at Joker Marchant Stadium.

“My two-strike approach is always sitting on a heater away,” Torkelson said. “If you sit on a heater away and try to hit it over the second baseman’s head, your eyes will see that off-speed pitch, and then that inside fastball is just a reaction. I reacted and obviously got it, and it went out. “It also helps to have Riley on first base because he has some speed. And you’ve got to think that the pitcher doesn’t want to spike a curveball because he could be stealing. That’s just a free bag for Riley, so it kind of gives you more confidence that he’s going to throw the heater.”

It’s a sign of the times that almost right after the game, Torkelson knew the metrics of the moonshot.

“Wind was howling a little bit, so I wasn’t positive it was going,” Torkelson said. “I believe it was a 39 degree launch angle, like 104 [mph] off the bat. So it wasn’t a no-doubter, but I thought I got it.”

Torkelson got one at-bat before a typical Florida downpour washed out the rest of his day, but it was enough of a preview of Torkelson and Greene as a run-production duo to give Tigers fans hope for the future. It’s also a combination on which Detroit’s rebuilding effort hinges.

While this summer’s arrival of Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal started the influx of the Tigers’ top pitching prospects, Detroit’s top hitting prospects are a little further away. Torkelson and Greene were part of the 60-man player pool this summer simply to give them reps and instruction amidst a lost Minor League season, but neither had a chance to make it to the big leagues this year. Though Greene was drafted out of high school in 2019, there’s just a year of age difference between them. Greene just turned 20 last month after Torkelson turned 21 in August. The two have formed a fast friendship.

“Tork as a person is one of the best people I’ve ever met in my life,” Greene said. “I mean, he’s really good. He works really hard. We’re staying at the hotel, so we literally drive [to the park] together every single day.”

In fact, they’re practically neighbors.

“I could knock on the wall right here and say hi to him, because that’s where his hotel room is,” Torkelson said during a video conference with reporters Monday. “He’s a great dude, and he gives me a ride to the field every day. We get some Starbucks or something before, and we go eat dinner all the time. It’s a really good friendship we’ve got going.”

While Greene raved about the work he put in on his swing in Toledo this summer, Torkelson began his transition from first to third base with help from Hall of Famer Alan Trammell. It remains a work in progress, but he feels his comfort level improving.

“I played three years in college at first, so I was a 10 out of 10 there,” Torkelson said. “And at third base, I’m probably 8 out of 10 right now, but I’m working hard to be a 10 out of 10.”

Between Torkelson’s advanced hitting abilities and the immense progress Greene showed this summer, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them at the same level as each other in the Tigers' system next year. In that sense, instructional league is a sneak preview. It’s also their first chance to face players in a different uniform, rather than teammates.

“Way better than facing your own guys, I’ll tell you that,” Torkelson said. “I was getting sick of facing Tigers. I wanted to put the hurt on somebody else.” (J Beck - MLB.com - Oct 19, 2020)

Riley had an impressive cameo during big league spring training before camps were shut down by the coronavirus pandemic and spent the summer at the alternate training site.

Is there such thing as a switch-hitter in golf?

We may find out if Riley ever gets serious about his new sport.

The left-handed batter is swinging his driver from the right side, even though he hits from the left side. Why?

Greene explained this week: “My father is a little crazy when it comes to my swing. My grandma bought me a set of clubs and she forgot that I was left-handed. My dad was like, ‘No, that’s perfect. He does not need to be swinging a golf club left-handed.’ So I just tried right-handed it works for me. I mean, I am not good whatsoever, but I go out and have fun.”

Golf is unlikely to displace fishing as Greene’s favorite hobby, nor is it likely to displace baseball as his top sport. ( Evan Woodbery - Feb. 25, 2021)

In 2021, the Tigers named Riley Greene their minor league player of the year.

The 21-year-old is ranked as the team's No. 2 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He's ranked as the No. 7 prospect in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline.

The fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft played 124 games between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo in 2021. His .301 batting average led all Tigers minor league players. He hit 25 doubles, eight triples, 24 home runs, and 84 RBI. He led the organization's farm system with 146 hits, 259 total bases, and was tied for the lead with 95 runs scored. He was fifth in OPS in Detroit's system with .921.

June 18, 2022: Ever since the Tigers drafted Greene fifth overall in 2019, his baseball skills have been under a microscope. But beyond the sweet swing, quick strides and instinctive play, there’s this: He hates to lose.

“He's a competitor,” said Braves prospect Vaughn Grissom, Greene’s best friend and high school teammate in Oviedo, Fla., “and he's not going to be OK with just folding.” Lots of professional athletes have that trait. But Greene really hates losing.

“This guy literally golfs righty,” Grissom said of the left-handed Greene, who golfs with his off hand so as not to mess with his baseball swing, “and he's good, just because he doesn't want to lose.”

Grissom said that in a phone conversation, just a few hours before the Tigers made the call to bring up Greene for his Major League debut. Greene, who was with Triple-A Toledo on the road, caught a morning flight into Detroit, went to Comerica Park and joined a Tigers team that had been in freefall. The hug he received from Miguel Cabrera in the clubhouse showed what his arrival meant.

“We’re going to do everything in our power to win, and now I’m going to try my best to help this team out and do whatever I’ve got to do,” Greene said. “But we’re going to win baseball games. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

A few hours later, as Greene trotted home with the Tigers’ 14th run of the day, it was difficult to argue that he didn’t make a difference. No, he didn’t score all those runs, just a couple of them, nor did he drive in any with his first two big league hits. But the energy with which the Tigers played in their 14-7 win over the Rangers supported the case manager A.J. Hinch made that Greene’s Spring Training foot injury that delayed his debut by two months was a gut punch to the entire team.

“That speaks to how much credibility Riley had gained in our clubhouse by how much energy he has, how much he works, his vibe around him,” Hinch said. (J Beck - MLB.com - June 18, 2022)

Nov 4, 2022: For the first time since Mark Fidrych, the Tiger of the Year winner is a rookie. Riley Greene, who made his Major League debut on June 18, won this year’s honor in a wide-open vote by members of the Detroit chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Though Greene received just seven of 24 first-place votes, that was enough to a lead a group of seven players who received votes. Tarik Skubal, who led the team in Wins Above Replacement according to Fangraphs, received five first-place votes, followed by Eric Haase with four and Harold Castro with three. Miguel Cabrera and Gregory Soto received two votes each. (J Beck - MLB.com - Nov 4, 2022)

Bowden noted that as a fielder, Greene ranked in the 71st percentile in outs above average in spacious Comerica Park’s center field. Greene was also 75th percentile in outfield jump.

At the plate, Greene was 75th percentile in hard-hit rate and 82ndpercentile in maximum exit velocity. Those figures lead Bowden to believe that Greene will improve on his .253/.321/.362 slash line. 

March 11, 2023: Sometimes, you get by with a little help from your friends. And sometimes, those friends help one another's dreams come true.

Greene attended Hagerty High School in Oviedo, Fla., where he was highly touted and drew attention in spades. Also on his high school roster was his best friend, Vaughn Grissom, who is in line to be the Braves' Opening Day shortstop.

It’s a friendship that dates back to the sandlot and youth baseball. Grissom, a then-newcomer to town, remembers his first interaction with Greene while looking for his mother during youth season-opening festivities.

"He barely knew me and was like, 'Hey, what are you doing?'" Grissom recalled. "I was like, 'I'm looking for my mom.' He's like, 'What's her name?' I'm like, ‘Elizabeth.'"

Next thing you know, Grissom said he could hear Greene yelling "Elizabeth!" all around the area.

Their first real interaction came in sixth-grade gym, with their lockers next to each other. Grissom recalls Greene saying to him, "Hey man, I'll cover you if you cover me." Grissom quickly agreed, they shook hands, and a bond was created. It's a bond that has extended beyond that locker room and far past the realm of sport, and it continues to grow as each embarks on a seemingly special path. Greene said it's surreal that two kids who grew up together belong to big league clubs.

"We always talked about it growing up, always dreamed about it, and our dream came true," Greene said. "It's pretty cool to see him on the other side of the diamond, playing and living out our dreams."

Grissom, 22, said he has to pinch himself at times.

"It's cool to see where we both have come and how things go, and how we can surprise ourselves," Grissom said.

Greene, also 22, was a rookie last year and wasted little time making an impression. The fifth overall pick in the 2019 Draft by the Tigers, Greene hit .253 with 27 extra-base hits and 42 RBIs and posted a hard-hit rate of 77 percent. His glove was also eye-opening, as he made the American League Play of the Week three times, including back-to-back weeks in September.

Greene and Grissom (an 11th-round pick of the Braves in 2019) have played against each other in travel ball, as well as together in high school. 

"We've gotten pretty close," Greene said. "We live probably two or three minutes from each other back home. We hit together during the offseason. It's cool seeing us both out here living our dreams; we always talked about being in the big leagues together."

Greene said it helps to have each other pushing the envelope.

"It's like a friendly competition," Greene said. “Even in BP in the offseason, we try to be better than each other. That just comes with being really good friends, and we know we can compete with each other. Vaughn loves to compete, I can tell you that. We'll go play tennis or something else, but we're still competing. It's always fun, and we always try to be better than one another, and that's what I feel like keeps us going."

Grissom said Greene was the first guy he saw in Oviedo getting college looks. That brought lots of scouts to games, sometimes 60, Grissom said.

"It kind of sets a standard," Grissom said. "It made me work harder subconsciously, and even consciously, I wanted to put in more hours. I would say it ignited friendly competition. We push each other whether it be the weight room, fielding ground balls, or whatever it is. In the offseason we just do everything together. It’s a competition to move the right way and do things constantly. And I think we do both pretty well."

Grissom said Greene has always been humble, and that he leads by example. Whatever Greene did, teammates followed. 

“He's always carried himself really well,” Grissom said. “Especially with [so much attention on him] as a youth." Greene remembered how happy he was when his buddy got the call to The Show last year.

"It gave me goosebumps," Greene said. "I know behind the scenes how hard he worked, and how much being able to be here means to him. There's no one that deserves it more than Vaughn."

In the offseason, Greene and Grissom hit with former high school coach Jered Goodwin (now with Perfect Game), along with fellow Oviedo native Ryan Mountcastle and Daniel Vogelbach.

"It was a huge benefit," Greene said of the workouts. "Being able to do it at home, and Jered coming out and helping us pretty much every single day, it was awesome. Having him, with all the knowledge that he has, really helped us with our game and hitting and fielding, I feel that it was big for all of us."

Both Greene and Grissom give Goodwin major kudos.

"Just the knowledge he has on the analytics side and the non-analytics side, it's insane," Greene said.

Grissom said Greene has always been determined to be successful and to win. With Detroit looking for a youthful infusion, Grissom is excited to see what this year brings for his friend.

"The guy is a winner," Grissom said. "Riley wants to do nothing but win. There [was] a lot of pressure on him as a 21-year-old rookie. If there's anyone that's ready for that situation, it's him. He seems excited about the group now. I'm excited to see what he has in store this year."

Grissom was not in the Braves’ lineup for the 16-7 Tigers win at CoolToday Park. Greene started for Detroit and went 1-for-4 with a run.

The two shared the frustration of missing each other with video calls and texts pregame.

"He better not big-league me,” Greene joked.

Rest assured, the pair together will share a laugh, a hug and, someday, a Major League diamond. (CJ Haddad - MLB.com - March 11, 2023)

There is a perception that athlete signatures no longer have the artistic quality they once did, that autographs have become shorter and sloppier as all the years have gone by. Indeed, stars of yesterday such as Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Sandy Koufax had beautiful, legible signatures. But those players generally weren’t signing thousands of autographs as teenagers. And they were less likely to have deals with card companies.

The sports memorabilia industry was not always booming in the way it is now. Tigers teammate Spencer Torkelson, after discussing how he came up with his unique autograph was chuckling, pointed over at his Tigers teammate Riley Greene, who was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 draft. 

“I don’t even know what this guy was thinking developing his signature,” Torkelson said.

Looking at a picture of his autograph on an iPhone, Greene shot back, “It’s an R and a G. That’s all you need.”

Torkelson, 23, looked at Greene, 22: “They stopped teaching cursive when he was in elementary school.”

This past spring training, Greene had some cards back at the house he was working his way through. It’s best, he said, to sign in 10-minute increments, to knock a few out whenever you have time.

This past spring, Topps created “The Topps Spot” near spring training sites in Arizona, where select rookies could gather to sign autographs but also get a haircut, have some food and otherwise relax. But signing autographs is rarely that glamorous.

“I’m a big procrastinator when it comes to that stuff,” Greene said. “I remember once I had a box of 5,000 due the next day. It took me five or six hours to do. I just sat down. I turned on like three movies and just grinded them out.” (Stavenhagen - Aug 8, 2023 - The Athletic) 

On Sept. 1, Riley Greene sauntered into the Detroit Tigers’ clubhouse with an announcement.

“Today’s a good day,” Greene said loudly. “August is over.”

That’s a taste of both the subtle self-deprecation and undying enthusiasm Greene has brought to the Tigers nearly every day this season. The All-Star outfielder had returned from the injured list and hit just .205 in 11 August games. He is his own biggest critic but also embodies a saying Tigers coaches have preached since spring training: Bring your own energy. 

Each day before batting practice, Tigers hitters gather with the coaching staff for a meeting. Manager A.J. Hinch says Greene is often at the center of these summits, whether it’s breaking down an opposing pitcher, talking about a game plan or simply being a fulcrum in the conversation.

“He’s a magnet,” Hinch said. “I think him emerging as an All-Star and maintaining the same personality has been fun to watch.”

Greene propelled himself to that All-Star status earlier this year and now has a team-best 21 home runs and leads all Detroit position players with 3.5 fWAR. One of his greatest contributions, though, might be unseen. It’s the constant energy, the upbeat vibe that has helped rescue the Tigers from the moors of midsummer. On a young team now battling back into the playoff conversation, Greene is the primary power source in more ways than one.

“Defense, offense, all-around player,” catcher Jake Rogers said. “He brings energy. He’s kind of the player you want on a team. I think any team would be thankful to have him.”

During games, Greene perches atop a raised platform near the dugout steps, standing alongside the hitting coaches. This is his spot every time. Greene does this for a couple of reasons. One, he is closest to the field and engaged in the action. Secondly, being close to the coaches allows him to be more engaged and locked in on the opposing pitcher.

“My team in high school was, like, a rah-rah team,” Greene said. “They were always screaming, and yelling. I’m not doing that here, but I’m just trying to stay positive for the guys and cheer them on when I can and learn some stuff, too, while I’m doing it.”

Greene may not want the cheerleader label, but he tends to be the loudest and most exuberant presence in Detroit’s dugout, and that is not accidental. It’s easy to score five runs and then start coasting, Greene said. That’s also a recipe for disaster. 

“Especially when we’re in September now, we’re all tired,” Greene said. “I’m not gonna say we’re not tired. We’re all tired. So it’s just really trying to just keep everyone going and keep the energy, keep the vibes up.”

Even when things aren’t good, Greene’s self-criticism can draw laughs from his teammates. He’s not the type to throw a helmet or crush a cooler. But this is a player who was venting about hitting too many groundballs after 15 at-bats in spring training. When the best player on the team calls himself terrible, it eases the pressure on everyone. 

“Part of that is personality, part of that is where he is in the eyes of his teammates,” Hinch said. “He brings a ton of the energy in the dugout, in and around his at-bats. The production on the field is one thing. The self-deprecation and the style in which he judges himself is pretty entertaining.”

Spencer Torkelson has been playing alongside Greene for years, to the point all this is just standard fare. But not long ago Greene and Torkelson were turning instructional league intrasquad games into win-at-all-costs atmospheres. Now they’re doing it in the major leagues. Greene shrugged when asked how the Tigers turned their season around, despite being nine games under .500 in early July. He says the club never doubted themselves.

“Yeah, he fires people up,” Torkelson said. “Same old Greeney.” (Stavenhagen - Sep 11, 2024 - The Athletic)

Greene has easy lefthanded power to all parts of the park. He has a balanced load all the way through contact. Riley gets good extension out front with the ball, generating a lot of leverage off the bat. He has quick hands and a smooth, easy lefthanded stroke. He has a 60 hit tool, with a 70 grade on the horizon. And he has 55 grade power. 

Greene exhibits a potent combination of hit and power tools from the left side. His swing is often described as fluid, but it also comes with plenty of violence, thanks to the way he utilizes his lower half. He exhibits a mature approach as well, one that helps him pick up walks at a good clip. While his strikeout rate has sat on the high side, there is hope it will trend back down as he sees more upper-level pitching. Perhaps most promising in his development has been the power that has gone from raw strength to in-game prowess with some added muscle. (Spring 2022)

Scouts love Greene's left-handed swing because it’s as fluid and balanced as it is explosive. His bat speed and path through the zone yield plenty of hard contact, and he already demonstrates an advanced approach. He shows huge raw power in batting practice, especially to the pull side, and has started to get to it more regularly as he’s gotten stronger. He should have at least above-average game power, along with a plus hitting ability, once developed. (Spring 2021)

Riley is a supremely talented hitter with a unique mix of skill and maturity. He does immense damage with a fluid, powerful stroke from the left side, but he also manages the strike zone with impressive patience and possesses sound control of the barrel. He’s a consensus plus hitter and, with his frame still developing, scouts believe Greene should develop 20-plus home run power as he matures physically. (Emily Waldon - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2021)

Greene's left-handed swing is as fluid and balanced as it is explosive. His bat speed and path through the zone yield plenty of hard contact, and he already demonstrates an advanced approach. He shows huge raw power in batting practice, especially to the pull side, and should have at least above-average game power, to go along with a plus hitting ability, once developed. 

Greene's advanced feel to hit and solid approach give him a solid foundation for developing game power, and club officials believe it'll start to show as he adds strength to his projectable frame and gains experience. He'll need time to develop (though possibly not as much as the typical prep pick), but the final product could be that of a middle-of-the-order run producer who hits for both average and power. (Spring 2020)

Riley shows good barrel control for a prep draftee and has displayed the ability to stay within the strike zone. (Spring, 2020)

He displays maturity at the plate . . . and with the way he carries himself on the field.

"The big thing with me is my timing,” Greene said. "If I wasn't on time, I wasn't going to hit the ball. That's the one thing I pay attention to, getting my foot down on time. I know when I get my foot down, I have a chance every time.”

Riley starts from an upright, slightly wide lefthanded stance. His loose hands allow him to comfortably drive the ball to all fields.

Greene has a small hitch in his smooth, lefthanded swing, but he has more than enough bat speed to avoid it being a red flag. He has a patient approach and a great understanding of the strike zone, with solid power and a chance for more as he fills out. (Spring, 2019)

Greene has exceptional plate discipline. He makes pitchers work. He appears calm and in control of his at-bats, regardless of the count and has a track record of walking at a high rate.

In addition to his ability to hit for extra bases and square up both velocity and off-speed pitches, Greene has a selective approach at the plate with a great awareness of the strike zone.

Riley should continue to hit for more power and already has solid pull-side pop. 

Greene routinely squares up even elite pitching.

Spring 2020: Tigers: Riley Greene, OF (No. 3/MLB No. 31) 

Though he only was drafted last June, when the Tigers took him fifth overall, Greene looked like he belonged this spring in big league camp. Logging 18 plate appearances before he was reassigned to Minor League camp, the 19-year-old batted .417/.611/.917 with a pair of homers, four RBIs and six walks. 

Riley is an outfielder, comfortable at all three spots. He has near-average speed for center field. But his 55 grade arm strength fits better in right field. His throws are accurate. He is a 60 grade defender in right.

Primarily a center fielder at Double-A, Greene played all three outfield spots with Toledo. His instincts help make up for average speed, and he has the arm to work anywhere on the grass. The Tigers have sought new challenges for Greene since signing him, only for him to clear every bar. Whether it’s in center or a corner, he’ll be an impact bat alongside Torkelson in the heart of a Detroit lineup. (Spring 2022)

Greene is an above-average runner who can hold his own as a center fielder, although most scouts believe he eventually will move to an outfield corner. His strong arm would fit in either left or right, as would Greene’s offensive profile. 

No matter where Riley plays, his decisions are calculated with enough confidence to complete difficult plays and make them look easy with his fluid defensive actions. His above-average speed and arm strength give him a future in right field. (Spring, 2022)

Greene is advanced for a recent high school pick, possessing a unique combination of tools, skills and instincts that could help him move through the Minor Leagues relatively fast. The final product could be that of an above-average Major League player, if not better, who hits for average and power from the middle of a lineup. (Spring 2021)

While Greene is an above-average runner and held his own as a center fielder in his pro debut, most scouts believe he'll eventually move to an outfield corner. His strong arm would be a fit in either left or right, and he has the offensive profile for either position.

Greene gets solid jumps on fly balls, but he lacks the closing speed necessary to make the in-between plays that major league center fielders are expected to handle. He should be able to play either left or right field, however, thanks to his average arm strength.

In total, Greene doesn’t project to add much defensive value, but a team drafting Greene is taking him for his bat, which should allow him to become a middle-of-the-order threat and a good corner outfielder.

Oct 22, 2021: Detroit announced that Greene completed his concussion protocol, performing physical activities at the team’s Spring Training facility in Lakeland, Fla., without symptoms. He’s now into his regular offseason training program. At the time, he was playing in the Arizona Fall League.

April 1-June 18, 2022:  Greene’s quest to be in center field on Opening Day at Comerica Park hit a tough-luck ending. The Tigers’ No. 2 prospect suffered a fractured right foot when he fouled off a pitch from the Yankees' Gerrit Cole. The fracture is not expected to require surgery, manager A.J. Hinch said.

May 31-July 9, 2023: Riley was on the IL with left fibula stress fracture.

Sept 2, 2023-Nov 6, 2023: Riley was on the IL with right elbow inflammation. The Tigers had hoped they’d avoided injury with Greene after he hit the ground hard on a diving catch in the win over the White Sox, but Greene’s elbow swelled up overnight and became sore, prompting the Tigers to have him undergo an MRI exam. He’ll return to Detroit next week to begin rehab and will get another MRI in 7-10 days once the swelling subsides.

It's a tough blow not just for what Greene means to the Tigers, but because he was just beginning to work out of a slump with back-to-back multi-hit games and had hope for a strong stretch run to carry him through his first full Major League season.

“It hurts a lot,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Riley’s one of the guys we look to every night to do something offensively, defensively. Anytime you lose a bat like that, a personality, a presence, a defender, everything about him, it’s a tough punch to the gut.”

Sept 20, 2023: Greene will undergo surgery on his injured right elbow, but the Tigers won’t know the extent of the repair until after the operation.