Detroit Tigers Slugger Emerges as Member of All-Breakout Team

Riley Greene has had a breakout season for the Detroit Tigers.

Sep 17, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Riley Greene (31) gestures to the dugout after hitting an RBI single during the tenth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

It has been an excellent 2024 season for the Detroit Tigers as they continue to get closer to making the playoffs. 

The Tigers have been one of the best teams in baseball in the second half of the year and they are just .5 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the final American League Wild Card spot. 

Detroit has been surging of late and with some winnable series coming up to end the season, there is a real possibility that the Tigers will be making the playoffs. 

One of the reasons for the success of Detroit this year has been their pitching staff. The Tigers have battled some pitchers missing time due to injuries, but they have had a lot of players step up.

However, a lot of their recent success can be attributed to the lineup finally doing their part and providing some offense for the team. Throughout the season, one of the leaders for Detroit in that department was outfielder Riley Greene. Recently, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report named him to his all-breakout team of 2024. 

"The 23-year-old was an All-Star for the first time this year, and his 5.2 WAR trails only Aaron Judge (9.8), Jarren Duran (8.4) and Juan Soto (7.6) among all outfielders, as he has developed into the face of the franchise for a Detroit Tigers team on the rise."

An excellent campaign from the slugger has to cause a lot of excitement for the organization, not only this season, but for years to come. For Greene to have a WAR in the same conversation with the likes of Judge and Soto at his age is remarkable. 

At just 23-years-old, the young outfielder is still developing and likely not even a finished product yet. 

This year, Greene has totaled a .262 batting average, 24 home runs, and 71 RBIs. The left-hander leads the team in both home runs and RBIs, which, at his age, is extremely impressive. While he batted .288 last season, the real improvement from the slugger has been in the power department, as he has hit 13 more home runs this campaign. 

With a little over a week left in the regular season, Greene and the Tigers will be hoping to find a way into the playoffs. Largely because of the strong year from the 23-year-old, Detroit is looking like a real threat in the American League with their balance. 

As a first-time All-Star, it has certainly been a breakout season for the young slugger.