AJ Hinch Believes Riley Greene’s Bat Is Punishing the League

Riley Greene is the kind of hitter who can change the temperature of a season with one swing. Lately, he’s been doing it a lot. The 24-year-old outfielder has caught fire just as the Tigers settle in for the stretch run, and AJ Hinch sees it as a payoff for Greene’s steady approach.

“All hitters get a little bit frustrated and they hold themselves to a high bar,” Hinch said on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio. “Greene’s personality doesn’t really change. He’s been pretty consistent throughout.”

That consistency is now producing in bunches. Greene crushed a 471-foot grand slam last week, the longest homer by a Tiger in the Statcast era and his first career slam. He followed it up with a two-run double to push past 100 RBIs, ending Detroit’s skid and reminding everyone why he’s the centerpiece of the lineup.

Hinch noted that Greene’s season, even with its streaks and strikeouts, has stacked up impressively. “Pretty good season when you’re looking at a mid-.800s OPS, 30 and 100 plus,” Hinch said. “He’s just an important part of our offense.”

The manager’s bigger point: Greene hasn’t let the noise of expectations or slumps derail him. “I just love that he has stayed consistent with how he came to the ballpark,” Hinch said. “He’s played every day. He’s been consistent, which has helped get him through some of these ruts, and then when he does get on a heater, that’s what I mean by someone’s going to pay.”

That heater is here. Over his last 10 games, Greene has ripped four homers and driven in 10 runs, looking every bit like the middle-of-the-order force Detroit needs.

At 24, Greene is proving he’s not just Detroit’s future but its present. Hinch framed it perfectly: when Greene locks in, it isn’t about padding stats — it’s about punishment. And with October in sight, the Tigers are counting on their young star to keep making opponents pay.