Riley Greene’s Latest Record With Tigers Is Not One to Celebrate
In this story:
The Detroit Tigers are postseason-bound once again, picking up their second straight appearance despite some late-season turmoil that pushed them out of the American League Central lead. After a year where they lost three games to two in the division series, they will return to take on the Cleveland Guardians in the Wild Card round.
One of the players who has been exceptionally hard to evaluate all year long is Riley Greene, as he has put together some outstanding games and numbers, but also some in the opposite direction as well. The first lefty since Prince Fielder in 2012 to have 30 home runs for the Tigers in a season, it is clear that he has provided some exceptional value to the franchise.
Unfortunately, that comes with a downside, as he is now the franchise leader in all-time strikeouts and the only player to hit 200 in a season for Detroit.
THAT'S 200! Congrats to Riley Greene on being the first Detroit Tiger in TEAM HISTORY with 200 strikeouts in a single season 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/W0GA17o28C
— Joe M (@jFudgy_) September 27, 2025
His strikeout totals have always been at least somewhat high, but in the last two years, they have started to increase, and with 201 in the 2025 regular season, it is clear that something needs to change for him. As much value as he provides in contact and power, it gets reversed when he is striking out almost once every three plate appearances.
Where Did Greene End the Regular Season Among All-time Strikeout Leaders?
Among the all-time leaderboard for strikeouts in a single season, Greene's 2025 campaign will rank No. 21, ahead of 2022 Kyle Schwarber, but behind 2021 Matt Chapman. He was only 22 strikeouts away from tying the all-time record set by Mark Reynolds, and if he played the extra five games he missed on the season, he may have made it closer.
Usually, if a player is able to at least counteract their strikeouts a bit with a solid walk total, maybe half of their total strikeouts, it is more bearable. The issue is that Greene only walked 46 times in 2025, or around one every four strikeouts. This will be something he needs to try to manage throughout the postseason if the Tigers want to make a deep run.
Otherwise, he has had an outstanding year statistically, with 111 RBI and 84 runs while slashing .258/.313/.493, it is just these few plate discipline issues that have been holding him back from taking that real next step into elite play. At only 25 years old, he has time to develop those skills further, and hopefully will as he continues to get more reps.
Recommended Articles
Jeremy Trottier started his writing journey with WBLZ Media, and has worked through multiple publications with 247Sports, USA Today, Fansided, SBNation and others. He is an avid fan of motorsports and most sports in general, and has completed a degree in sports management to further understand the sports industry. During his time with sports media, he has been credentialed for coverage of Boston College sports, and can often be found attending their football and basketball games as well as expected coverage of their men’s soccer team in the near future. Sports are a large part of his life and career, as he looks to pursue a full time role within the industry someday.