Tiger fans have enjoyed watching Riley Greene play in the outfield. Watching him dive for balls, athleticism on display.
Sure, it’s exciting to watch but these displays on his part aren’t due to exceptional defensive skills. Actually, quite the opposite.
Greene finished last year with a -7 DRS. Second worst defensive player on the team and 4th weakest CFer in MLB.
The reason we’ve been watching all of his gymnastics is really due to his struggles with reading the ball well after it’s hit and getting late starts in tracking it down as a result.
The inability to have quick reaction time resulted in first, a left fibula stress fracture in 2022 and then a right elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery last year. Both injuries were due to diving for fly balls.
As a result, A. J. Hinch moved him out of CF and into a corner OF position this year. Less ground to cover combined with Parker Meadows in CF who has elite speed, is a plus defender and has a better defensive range.
This year, Greene has continued his pattern. A spectacular dive last week and then recently, catching a possible HR ball while hitting the outfield wall hard.
You could almost hear Hinch holding his breath as he watched both these moves.
As a fan, what would you want Riley to do?
Continue to go all out and risk further injuries that may put him on the shelf?
Or should he ease up on his diving style in order to protect his health? Understanding that there will be runners who will end up getting on base and potentially scoring.
This question is meant to be tough! But you can select only one……..
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Are the Tigers starting to play better baseball?
- Yes, they are playing better baseball. 63%
- I’m not sure just yet. 32%
- No, they are playing the same way as last year. 5%
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Riley was never meant to play CF. It was more an indictment of our talent and giving him the opp to prove to us he could do it. He isn’t the first OF that’s needed to be reigned in to protect his health and keep him in the lineup.
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We’ve read about how Kerry Carpenter was below average defensively but by working with George Lombard he’s improved. What’s holding Greene back from improving his reads and routes?
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There have to be analytics about the risk of a guy going on the IL (and losing his offensive production for some time) versus making an occasional great catch to possibly save a run. I’m for playing it safe. As my grandfather used to tell me, “The first rule is don’t hurt yourself”.
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I don’t see a poor outfielder making those catches. Let him play to his style and ability. It’s his career.
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in anything in life you have to have a feel for something, that you either have it or don’t. The born with it instinctive instant response that can’t be coached. I think that’s were Riley’s at.
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Riley has to be himself not play with extra caution. Hopefully experience and practice can help him with his slow breaks but let the young man be himself.
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I am of the believe that when you play your game, you are less likely to get hurt or play well. Go get ’em Tiger Riley.
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Telling a player to get less aggressive is taking a very important tool away from him. Maybe some extra coaching will help him get better jumps and protect him from injury. Riley is very talented and with a little help will get better.
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I voted no, the most logical choice for longevity. I’ve heard Riley in interviews alluding to Parkers, ala Austin Jackson’s, controlled aggressiveness and I think he’s doing more than just listening. I can see an all out guy reiling in the reigns on all out dives to prevent injury.
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Greene needs better coaching in reading ball flight so he doesn’t have to dive so much. I am tired of worrying about him injuring himself all the time.
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I don’t think a player has the split second it takes to stop and consider the risk of injury when he is trying to make a play. It is reaction and instinct. If a player thinks he can make a play, go for it I say.
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Greene should eliminate the obvious non-dive situations. For instance, down by 7 runs in the 9th with two outs means don’t dive.
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At this point in Greene’s career, I doubt that he could significantly change his defensive game. Perhaps more experience will moderate those crash and burn tendencies in time. Meanwhile keeping base runners off the bases when your offense is bad would be a big plus.
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He needs to learn when to let it drop and block it dependent upon the situation, while diving for a ball in a losing game is another thing and likely not worth it diving for ball in a game that means something is another matter.
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it always baffles me when pros aren’t good defenders. They’ve played the game seriously since they were little kids and hundreds of games before turning pro, then 162 game season in the pros. How can any pro outfielder be poor at judging a fly?
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