The Detroit Tigers have been one of MLB's best teams all season long, but things haven't gone as smoothly for them lately. In fact, since the start of July, the Tigers are just 17-20, allowing the second-place Cleveland Guardians to pick up 6.0 games on them in that span. Many are to blame for the team's lackluster play, but the performance of Riley Greene cannot be unnoticed.
On the surface, his numbers look and frankly are, extraordinary. He's slashing .269/.316/.508 with 27 home runs and 87 RBI. He's been one of the best outfielders in the sport, and was an All-Star starter for a reason.
It might be crazy for me to call Greene a "headache" because of how good his numbers overall are, but his performance lately has lacked, and there's one major concern in his game worth noting.
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Riley Greene's struggles could carry into October
Again, the numbers are great, but it's worth noting Greene has struck out a MLB-leading 158 times this season. Strikeouts have always been part of his game and are bound to stick around with the uppercut swing he has, but last season, Greene fanned 156 times in 137 games. He's already passed that total in 118 appearances. That's a problem.
Greene has struck out in 32.2 percent of his plate appearances this season, placing him in the first percentile per Baseball Savant. Greene's had a good amount of luck on the balls he's able to put into play, as his .350 BAbip would indicate, but his inaiblity to make contact is infuriating.
It's not as if things have gotten any better for him, either. In 11 August games, he's gone 8-for-42 (.190 BA) with 14 strikeouts. Since the start of July, he's hit .206 with a .672 OPS and he's fanned in 54 of his 143 plate appearances (37.8 percent).
Tigers need Riley Greene to turn it around for them to win World Series
The Tigers need Greene to be the star he was for much of the first half for them to have a chance of winning the World Series. The Tigers rank just 19th in the majors in runs scored since the start of July, directly coinciding with Greene's struggles. Prior to July, the Tigers were fifth in the majors in runs.
It might be annoying when a guy like Javier Baez swings at a pitch in the opposite batter's box, but the Tigers don't rely on Baez to lead the way at the plate. Greene entered the season with high expectations and has only heightened them with how he's played. His struggles lately have been both frustrating and alarming.
If Greene is a non-factor, Detroit doesn't stand much of a chance, as we've seen lately. Hopefully, that changes come October, and ideally far sooner.