Tigers insider speaks hard truths Scott Harris needs to hear about Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson

Some wanted the Detroit Tigers to bolster their lineup in 2026 by going out and getting a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat over the offseason. Scott Harris had a different idea. He believed the growth would come from within. Part of that plan included the ascendance of Kevin McGonigle. So far, so good on that front. However, the other big hope was to see steps forward from Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson.

Harris noted that Greene and Torkelson are entering their prime years and hoped that there would still be another gear to be unlocked. That hasn't been the case. Greene is hitting .257/.350/.386 with one homer through 19 games. Torkelson has been worse, with zero homers and a .218/.377/.273 line over 18 contests, continuing his trend of alternating promising and disappointing seasons.

They're not quite the slugging heart of the order threats Detroit was hoping for, and while there's some reason to believe they'll get the power stroke going at some point, overall, what they can provide is a bigger question.

Tigers insider Cody Stavenhagen might have given us the answer to said question, and it's one that Scott Harris might not like to hear. Per Stavenhagen, we might just be finding out that Greene and Torkelson are merely good players, but won't live up to the lofty expectations placed on them.

The Tigers will regret not adding a true slugging presence to compensate for Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson

Part of what led Stavenhagen to his conclusion is how this pair has performed dating back to last summer. Expanding upon that, since July 2 of last year, Greene has slashed just .223/.289/.430 while running a 30% strikeout rate. That's a 387 plate-appearance sample, and one in which the strikeouts are still a huge concern.

In the same time frame, Torkelson has posted a .245/.340/.412 line. He, too, had an elevated K-rate, coming in at 28.1%, and failed to stand out in any meaningful way.

While both might end up producing better than these lines indicate by season's end, it won't be by much. There's no consistent trend line for Torkelson to give credence to the idea that he'll grow more than what he's shown at his peak, given his consistent inconsistency. As for Greene, his declining speed and athleticism don't just affect him in the field; they also put a cap on his growth potential overall.

Greene posted an .806 OPS last season, while Torkelson came in at a .789 mark. It's hard to take issue with a couple of guys who can produce a roughly .800 OPS year in and year out, but that's also not the type of production that winning teams get from their offensive centerpieces.

So far in 2026 (though April 16), the Tigers are 14th in the majors in runs scored with 84. Their collective .711 OPS ranks 12th. The 14 homers they've hit are good for 26th in the league. All in all, they have an average offense. That tracks with last year's production when they finished 11th in runs scored, 12th in OPS, and 10th in homers.

The bottom line is that both Greene and Torkelson are likely solid complementary pieces, but without a true heliocentric superstar in the middle for them and others to revolve around, Detroit's offense will continue to hang around the middle of the pack. That might be enough to contend in a crowded though underwhelming AL Central, but it's hard to see the Tigers reaching the upper echelon where teams can legitimately see a pathway to a World Series title.

The sooner Harris understands this about the duo and makes moves accordingly, the better off the Tigers will be if their goal truly is to make a deep playoff run.

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