Riley Greene's quiet All-Star nod gives Tigers tough assignment as youth movement comes into focus

On Wednesday night, Riley Greene officially became the first Tigers outfielder since Al Kaline to play in three consecutive All-Star Games. And, as a pleasant surprise for Tigers fans, American League manager John Schneider gave him the start in left field after fan-voted starters Aaron Judge and Byron Buxton bowed out because of injury.

Ignoring the fact that Greene struck out swinging twice (and both Dillon Dingler and Kevin McGonigle failed to get on base in three at-bats) — extending a long streak of the Tigers putting on disappointing displays at the All-Star Game — Greene has been mentioned in the same breath as Mr. Tiger a few times already this season.

At the beginning of the month, Greene "became the third player in franchise history to surpass 85 homers, 300 runs, and 300 RBI before turning 26 years old" after Kaline and Travis Fryman.

He hasn't quite put on the same display of power he did last season (36 homers) and isn't likely to reach the same RBI benchmark either (111), but he's on pace to cut down his strikeouts by 10% this year and has raised his first-half OBP by 45 points compared to last season. It's clear that he's maturing as a player, and he's still only 25.

So we have to ask what's becoming a perennial question once again: should the Tigers extend him?

Tigers might have to consider Riley Greene extension (again) after second consecutive All-Star start

Greene, despite five years of above-replacement-level play for the Tigers, doesn't feel nearly as beloved as McGonigle and Dingler have become just this season.

It's probably not fair, but he is a first-round Tigers pick who is sandwiched between two notoriously disappointing first-round picks (2018-2020 went Casey Mize, Greene, and Spencer Torkelson), which has perhaps led Tigers fans to view him with some skepticism.

It could also be that some part of Greene's game has experienced some kind of notable regression from year to year. Last year, he set the franchise record for strikeouts. This year, he's not striking out as much, but his power isn't the same. His defense and baserunning have continued to be on a decline since his 5.3 bWAR 2024 season.

He's a bit of a confusing player, to say the least, which is at least part of the reason why the front office hasn't seemed rushed to extend him, nor have fans been clamoring for it.

What fans would certainly like to see out of him is a kind of evening out and — maybe more than anything — a signature moment that matches up to the talent he clearly has. He won't be a free agent until after the 2028 season, so the Tigers can afford to take their time on this one.

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