Tigers’ Riley Greene Adds Another Prestigious Nomination to His Resume
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The Detroit Tigers made one of their best draft choices in the 2019 MLB Draft, taking outfielder Riley Greene with the fifth overall pick. Since Greene debuted for the Tigers, he's become known as the face of the offense, collecting multiple achievements along the way.
A three-time All-Star from 2024 to 2026, a Silver Slugger Award winner in 2025, and a reliable defender, Greene leads the Detroit offense into the future. It was proof enough when Greene went down with an injury in August that this offense needs him, but that's a good thing to have within the organization.
With the offseason in full swing for the Tigers, nominations for the prestigious Hank Aaron Award have been released as the playoffs continue.
The Hank Aaron Award is awarded annually to the best overall offensive performer in each league. The award was introduced in 1999 to mark the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's all-time home run record. A panel of Hall of Famers combines with a fan vote to determine the winners.
Of the 10 American League players representing 10 American League teams, Greene takes center stage for the Tigers organization.
How to Vote for Riley Greene
Congrats to Riley Greene on being nominated for the Hank Aaron Award!
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) October 5, 2026
Voting is open now through October 12th: https://t.co/bUCHSysFNJ pic.twitter.com/ltBy37hhNl
Greene finished his 2026 campaign with 21 home runs, 75 RBIs and an OPS of .844. While his home run and RBI totals were down from his 2025 campaign, the All-Star outfielder set a new career-high in OPS and doubles with 32.
Voting is open through Oct. 12, and Greene needs all the votes he can get from Tigers fans. Some of his biggest competitors for the award this season are Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Ben Rice of the New York Yankees.
Of all the American League nominees, Greene ranked ninth in home runs, ninth in RBIs, and seventh in OPS. If Greene brings home the hardware, he will become the first Tigers player to do so since Miguel Cabrera won the award in back-to-back MVP seasons in 2012 and 2013.
If Greene doesn't win, it doesn't take away from how much improvement he had in 2026. A big flaw in Greene's game was strikeouts, punching out the most in Major League Baseball in 2025 with 201. He lowered that total to 157 in 2026 and improved his overall offense.
Greene is easily the top candidate to get a contract extension to ensure Detroit has a well-rounded athlete on their roster for years to come.
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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.