FanPost

Riley Greene hits a walk-off for first Major League home run

Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene hit a 432-foot walk-off solo home run to center Saturday against the Kansas City Royals, marking the top prospect's first blast in the majors. Detroit won 4-3.

Greene is the seventh player in Tigers history to hit a walk-off for his first career homer and the first to do so since Lou Whitaker in 1978, per ESPN Stats & Info. The 21-year-old is slashing .302/.434/.876 since he made his MLB debut on June 18. He also hit a triple in the first inning Saturday.

The fifth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, Greene was the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball heading into this season, per most major outlets.

Greene was left off the Opening Day roster after fracturing his foot in spring training. He batted .291 in his minor-league career, clobbering 30 home runs across all three levels of the minors.

When the Tigers drafted Riley Greene in 2019, his hit tool was the main draw. His bat-to-ball skills were never a doubt. His swing has always been smooth and natural. But the Tigers were banking on Greene developing power. So far, it's looking like a great decision.

Only 21 years old and hitting balls as into float tanks, Greene has quickly filled out his frame, grown stronger and shown power to all fields. Based on what we've seen so far, there's no reason to think Greene can't be a 30-plus HR hitter in the majors for years to come.

Greene's debut was a welcome arrival for the worst run-scoring offense in baseball. Greene has quickly moved up to the leadoff spot in the Tigers' order, and he is .302 with a .434 on-base percentage through his first 43 MLB at-bats. In addition to the sheer boost of energy he has provided, he's already looking like the most dangerous hitter in the team's otherwise sleepy lineup.

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