Riley Greene looks to breakthrough in 2023

Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene has his health this spring. If you recall from last season, the 22-year-old outfielder missed the start of the regular season due to a broken foot. Even with the rough start to the season, Greene was able to win the 2022 Tiger of the Year. Granted, the offensive highlights among the team last season were not exactly plentiful, but Greene’s potential was on display.

Greene, like any other rookie, experienced the usual highs and lows of a baseball season as he was playing catch up. He hit .252/.336/.306 to end the season with no home runs, but there was plenty inside those stats to show what could be coming this season.

• 60% percentile in barrel rate*
• 76% hardhit percentile*
• 85% outfield field jump*

*2022 MLB Percentile Rankings

So if you were curious on what outfield field jump is, according to MLB.com as:

How many feet did he cover in the right direction in the first three seconds after pitch release

To further break it down into three components:

• Reaction: Feet covered (in any direction) in the first 1.5 seconds. Think of it like a way to measure first step.

• Burst: Feet covered (in any direction) in the second 1.5 seconds. Think of it like a way to measure acceleration.

• Route: Compares feet covered in any direction to feet covered in the correct direction over the full three seconds

Greene was ranked 15th among outfielders in outfield jump, as he covered 35.9 feet. While the routes were not perfect, his instincts to the ball were solid.

Why is this so important for the Tigers?

The Tigers are moving in the fences for this season.  Greene lost three home runs last year, one to dead center and two to right-center. For his OPS, having the right-center fence down to a standard eight feet across the board, will help his offense. So far in the spring, he ranks third in solid contact and barrels and leading the team in hits this spring with 14. (.333/.364/.643)

(video courtesy of MLB.com)

If Greene can adjust to Comerica Park quickly, he can continue to grow into the player Tigers fans and MLB pundits expect him to be.

Photo credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports