Riley Greene Heating Up, Chasing Historic Mark for Detroit Tigers
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The Detroit Tigers are a much better baseball team when their stars at the plate are hitting well. There is no bigger star at the plate for the Tigers over the last few seasons than Riley Greene, as he's starting to heat up following a slow start to the 2026 season.
Believe it or not, Greene has still found his way on base this season, at least once, which adds up. As he looks to make better and consistent contact at the plate, sometimes it gets overlooked how often the slugger has reached base, with many expecting to see extra base hits from the two-time All-Star.
Greene Chasing Down Tigers History
After a stellar day at the plate on Saturday against the Miami Marlins, which saw Greene collect his first home run of the season, a statistic emerged indicating that Greene is on the path to chase and potentially make franchise history, should he keep getting on base.
According to Evan Woodbery, Greene reaching base in the first inning with an RBI single marked the 15th straight game he's gotten on base for Detroit. He's the first Tiger to achieve this since third baseman Brandon Inge did so with the Tigers, reaching base 24 games in a row to begin the year in 2009.
With an RBI single in the first inning, Riley Greene has now reached base safely in 15 straight games to open the season. First Tiger to do so since Brandon Inge, who reached in 24 consecutive games to open 2009.
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) April 11, 2026
It's no secret that Greene has faced challenges at the plate this year, particularly with swing-and-miss situations and hitting with runners in scoring position. However, there is one statistic that is encouraging for a young player like him.
As the season progresses, it's likely that Greene will play much better than he has begun the season. If he continues this on-base streak for Detroit, it had better come with more production at the plate. Hopefully, his performance against the Marlins in game two was an indicator of better things to come.
The Tigers are looking to claw back into the AL Central standings after starting the season with a poor 4-9 record. Now with two straight wins over Miami, their record sits at 6-9, but there is more work to be done.
Greene is a catalyst in the lineup and to the Tigers' overall success. They've played well in front of their home fans at Comerica Park this season, but have to bottle that success and bring it with them on the road as well, Greene included.
Detroit wraps up the series with the Marlins on Sunday, with Tarik Skubal taking on Sandy Alcantara in a battle of the aces.
Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.