‘I can be a 100 times better:’ At 23, Tigers All-Star Riley Greene still work in progress
That swing that Riley Greene got off Sunday in the sixth inning against Red Sox right-hander Zack Kelly, that gorgeous, textbook left-handed swing that produced 114-mph exit velocity and his 20th home run of the season, that was the product of incredibly dull but persistent daily drill work this offseason.
He didn’t have that swing last year when his average launch angle was 6.6 degrees and 49% of the balls he put in play were on the ground.
That swing that Riley Greene got off Sunday in the sixth inning against Red Sox right-hander Zack Kelly, that gorgeous, textbook left-handed swing that produced 114-mph exit velocity and his 20th home run of the season, that was the product of incredibly dull but persistent daily drill work this offseason.
He didn’t have that swing last year when his average launch angle was 6.6 degrees and 49% of the balls he put in play were on the ground.
He’s a developing player with the highest standards. When he went back home this offseason, rehabbing his right elbow after Tommy John surgery, he didn’t focus on his productive .288/.349/.447 slash-line or 119 OPS-plus.
He focused on that ground-ball rate. He focused on his approach and his plan at the plate. He dived into which pitches he needed to drive, and what pitches he needed to stop swinging at.
“I changed my approach a little, but just trying to make sure I’d be on time,” he said. “When you are late, that’s when you get the ground balls.”
“You’ve got to swing at good pitches and the right pitches in order to do anything with the ball. Getting the right pitch to hit is by far the biggest emphasis we talk about with Riley.”
To that point, Greene’s chase rate is 21.9%, in the top 10 percentile in baseball. That’s down from 26.5% last year. His whiff rate is 26.7%, down from 28.2%. And his walk rate, 11.5%, is also in the top 10 percentile in baseball.
When you are swinging at the right pitches, Hinch said, the contact point and launch angle take care of themselves. Greene’s career-year (4.4 WAR, 20 homers, 58 RBI, .828 OPS, 132 OPS-plus) is validating that.
“The ball isn’t on a tee,” Hinch said. “You aren’t going to be able to dictate exactly where you’re going to hit it. Pitch selection is key. His natural ability is going to lift the ball out front. We aren’t trying to tell him anything that specific (launch angle).
“I’m here to tell him, you’ve got to get a good pitch to hit.”