Detroit Tigers outfielder and All-Star Riley Greene had a breakout 2024 season that could lead to a contract extension for him in 2025. He recorded 24 home runs, 74 RBI, 134 hits, and 64 walks across 137 games this season. In the postseason he had a .231 batting average and a .355 OBP along with six hits, one RBI, and four walks. The 24-year-old also played solid defense all year.
He was thought to be deserving of a nomination for a Gold Glove Award but clearly, his defensive spark went under the radar. He was snubbed from being a finalist despite his 14 defensive runs saved in left field for the Tigers. That said, one factor for that may have been a hamstring injury early on in the season that led to him missing three weeks. Riley also had an impressive 4.0 fWAR this season, which was good enough to rank him 32nd in all of MLB. It was also the highest on the team. The third-year outfielder also achieved the milestone of his first four-hit game, which was ironically against the Houston Astros, who they swept in the AL Wild Card Series this October.
Extension Candidate: Riley Greene https://t.co/zO82KVNP6a pic.twitter.com/jOOyJdKw3N
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) October 19, 2024
Tigers 2024 Breakout Player Riley Greene Eyeing Extension
Greene’s Impactful Season
Riley Greene preserves the @Tigers lead with this incredible throw 😮 pic.twitter.com/E2cNVluKOX
— MLB (@MLB) September 21, 2024
Greene’s strong efforts in the outfield, his first All-Star selection, and best offensive season with a career-high in home runs, hits and runs are reason enough to offer him a contract extension. The Tigers took him fifth overall in the 2019 Draft, and he made his MLB debut in 2022. If the Tigers want to continue to make a deeper push next season, extending Greene should be at the top of their list. Greene was one part of the Tigers’ clinching a postseason berth, which they hadn’t done since 2014. Greene’s strong season can partially be attributed to his barrel percentage, and bat speed which were ranked above average.
“Belief is a big thing… we never stopped believing.”@jonmorosi caught up with Riley Greene after the @tigers clinched their first #Postseason berth since 2014. #RepDetroit pic.twitter.com/5cbQGpvuwd
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) September 28, 2024
Tigers Success Links to Greene
The 2024 Tigers enjoyed a fairytale story of pushing into the postseason with their determined hustle, rallying, and optimism. Following Detroit’s clinching game, Jon Morosi spoke with Greene, who talked about how the Tigers never gave up. “Belief is a big thing. We never stopped believing.” Confidence is key to making the postseason, and the Tigers had plenty of it late in the season. Greene has settled in nicely with the Tigers and was happy to be a part of their success in 2024. He later said in an interview with Brad Galli, “Being able to do it with this team, it’s crazy.”
On September 27th, Greene was also the winner of the 2024 Heart and Hustle Award. The Tigers’ defense in late September was elite, helping them clinch a Wild Card spot. Greene was a strong contributor who led all left fielders in DRS this season. He’s developed into a steady player who still has yet to reach his prime. This ultimately makes him an exciting player to watch progress. Riley Greene’s trajectory may inspire the Tigers to reward him with an extension in the near future.
INTERVIEW: Riley Greene said he was speechless as the Tigers celebrated their playoff-clinching win.
“Being able to do it with this team, it’s crazy.” pic.twitter.com/tIijrUQZq3
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) September 28, 2024
Photo Credit: © Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
