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Detroit left fielder Riley Greene has been one of the breakout stars of the 2024 MLB season, as he and Tarik Skubal both earned spots in the All-Star Game for the Tigers. With 17 home runs, however, it's only natural that fans might speculate about Greene playing in the Home Run Derby as well.
Tigers beat writer Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press asked the 23-year-old slugger about it on Monday, and Greene still seems undecided.
“I don’t really know,” he said. “If it comes up, I’ll think about it.”
There's no doubt that Greene is capable of putting on a show if selected. He hit 11 home runs last year and, in 10 fewer games so far, has blown past that mark with an .856 OPS and .500 slugging percentage.
Regardless, Greene seems happy just to be headed to Arlington. When news came down that he was named an All-Star, Greene shared with the Detroit News the excitement he felt for his family.
“They’re going to be so excited,” he said. “They were all talking about it before the start of the season. I was like, ‘Guys, we haven't even started the season yet.’ They’re going to be excited and they’re going to be proud.”
His All-Star nod runs deeper than his raw power numbers, which all rank in the top five among AL outfielders. He's also at plus-eight in defensive runs saved, which is third-best among AL left fielders.
Despite a strong all-around season, fans seemed to overlook him in All-Star voting. Greene didn't even finish in the top 20 of fan voting among outfielders. Not that it mattered to him.
“I didn't really pay attention to any of the voting,” Greene said, according to the Detroit Free Press. “I was just playing baseball.”
Why Tarik Skubal is thankful to be Riley Greene's teammate
When Greene and left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal learned their All-Star fate, the two shared a clubhouse hug before the Tigers took on the Reds in Cincinnati on Sunday, according to the Detroit News.
“That was a pretty cool moment,” Green admitted.
Skubal later admitted that he's thankful to be Greene's teammate.
“He plays every day. It's special stuff what he can do against left-handed pitching, right-handed pitching, it doesn't matter,” he said. “I'm glad he's on my team so I don't have to pitch to him.”
The stats tell the story. Though Greene has struggled against lefties this year, he is a career .260 hitter against them and a .270 hitter against righties. 29 of his 33 career home runs, however, have come off of right-handed pitching.
It's the first All-Star appearance for both players, and their manager, AJ Hinch, couldn't hold his excitement back.
“It’ll be one of the biggest stages both Tarik and Riley have ever been on,” he said, according to the Detroit News. “Because of the attention, the fanfare, the red carpet and just your peers. I remember standing in front of the group in 2018 when I got to manage the All-Star Game, and it takes you aback. Like, I’m standing in front of a lot of great players with a lot of accomplishments, the biggest and brightest names in the league.
“And now Tarik and Riley are among them. It’s going to hit them probably when they get to that first workout and start looking around.”
