Tigers' Riley Greene takes tough-love approach to cut strikeouts

After a career-high 36 home runs but also a franchise-record 201 strikeouts in 2025, the Detroit outfielder is focused on situational hitting and fewer "feel-good" batting practice sessions.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene, a two-time All-Star, spent the offseason working on a new approach at the plate to cut down on his franchise-record 201 strikeouts in 2025. Instead of focusing on hitting home runs in batting practice, Greene asked his personal hitting coach to crank up the pitching machine velocity and face tougher pitches to improve his plate discipline and situational hitting. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch wants Greene to keep improving without obsessing over the strikeouts, noting that the 24-year-old has been an "incredible offensive player" despite the swing-and-miss issues.

Why it matters

Greene's high strikeout totals have been a concern, but the Tigers are confident he can continue to develop as a hitter without making drastic changes. Cutting down on strikeouts while maintaining his power production would make Greene an even more valuable part of the Tigers' lineup as they look to build on their 87-75 record in 2025 and return to the playoffs.

The details

In 2025, Greene hit a career-high 36 home runs but also set a franchise record with 201 strikeouts. This offseason, he worked with his personal hitting coach to face tougher pitches in batting practice, focusing on taking bad pitches and improving his plate discipline rather than just trying to hit home runs. Greene also wants to be more situational in his approach, such as trying to make contact with two strikes and a runner on second base instead of swinging for the fences.

  • In 2025, Greene hit a career-high 36 home runs but also set a franchise record with 201 strikeouts.
  • This offseason, Greene worked on his new approach at the plate.

The players

Riley Greene

A 24-year-old outfielder for the Detroit Tigers who made the All-Star team in each of the past two seasons.

A.J. Hinch

The manager of the Detroit Tigers, who wants Greene to keep improving without obsessing over his strikeout numbers.

Jered Goodwin

Greene's personal hitting coach, who helped him implement the tougher pitching machine drills this offseason.

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What they’re saying

“Stop trying to hit a home run on every pitch”

— Riley Greene (freep.com)

“Everybody is circling the strikeouts and the swing-and-miss. He takes a lot of attention for things that are imperfect, and I just don't want the good that he does to get overlooked. He's been an incredible offensive player with room for improvement.”

— A.J. Hinch, Tigers manager (freep.com)

What’s next

Greene will look to put his new approach into practice during the Tigers' spring training games, which begin on February 21 against the New York Yankees.

The takeaway

Riley Greene's willingness to make adjustments and focus on situational hitting rather than just trying to hit home runs shows his maturity as a player. If he can cut down on strikeouts while maintaining his power, he could take another step forward and become an even more valuable part of the Tigers' lineup.