It should come as no surprise to anyone, but Riley Greene was named the Detroit Tigers rookie of the year by Detroit Sports Media this morning. While this is basically a by-default award, Greene’s impact was felt and seen from the moment of his arrival to “The Show,” back in June. According to the Detroit Tigers Twitter,
Congratulations to @Greene21Riley on being named the #Tigers Rookie of the Year by the Detroit Sports Media Association!
Detroit Tigers, via Twitter
Riley Greene’s Rookie year was a good one
Though Greene’s start in Detroit was delayed due to a foot injury during Spring Training, when he arrived in June he took hold of centerfield and never relinquished it. For his rookie season Greene was a 1.4 bWAR and a 0.9 fWAR player. He slashed .253/.321/.362 with an 8.6% walk rate while hitting lead-off the majority of the season. But, above the numbers, his impact on the team was seen as the Tigers increased their run production after he entered the lineup. His glove shined in the outfield as well as garnering 2 DRS and 2 OAA.
Riley Greene’s 2023 projections
For 2023, Fangraphs projects Greene as a 3.1 WAR player, with a 112 WrC+, providing some hope for Tigers fan for this young fan-favorite. With Scott Harris now in charge of the Tigers, he has a strong building block placed firmly in the middle of the field and lineup that he can build around. Hopefully in building around the 2022 Detroit Sports Meda Association Detroit Tiger Rookie of the Year, Harris can compile a team that will spit out a few more wins than the 2022 club, all led of course by their centerfielder, Riley Greene.
