Rest of Season Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Greene Pastures

The Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers are among the worst teams in baseball. Cincinnati sits in the cellar of the National League Central Division. Considering the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs reside in that division, that is a pretty damning statement. Detroit, meanwhile, does have a better record than the Kansas City Royals. But their offense is one of the most abysmal outfits in recent memory. The Tigers have scored 169 runs through their first 64 games. Three teams in baseball have scored more runs at home this year than Detroit has all season. Despite the dire circumstances, there are reasons for fans to be excited about the future of these storied franchises. Some of that optimism stems from the buzz surrounding prospects Hunter and Riley Greene.

Hunter Greene Recap and Outlook

Hunter Greene is the Reds’ top prospect. Greene broke camp with the club this spring to much fanfare. His overall ADP was just outside the top 300 overall, but that position skyrocketed as the season drew closer. Greene was drafted as high as 142 in a March NFBC draft. The year-to-date results have been up and down, as you would expect from a 22-year-old. Greene has amassed a 3-7 record to go along with a 5.26 ERA and WHIP. However, there have been recent glimpses of greatness. In a two-start span, last week, Greene limited Arizona and St. Louis to a combined one run on three hits over 12 innings while striking out 15 batters.

Greene features a fastball that routinely hits triple digits as well as a devastating slider. The fastball draws a lot of attention because of its velocity, but he has yet to achieve consistent success with the pitch. It is among the worst offerings in all of baseball based on Baseball Savant’s Run-Value metric, registering at a +9. Opponents have tattooed the fastball to the tune of a .339 batting average and .678 slugging percentage. Conversely, batters have not been able to solve Greene’s slider. Opponents bat just .105 and slug .246 against the pitch, and its -8 Run-Value is among the leaders in all of baseball.

Once Greene improves his command of the fastball and hones a tertiary weapon, look out. For the rest of this season, however, Greene will continue to be a highly volatile starting pitcher. I currently have him ranked as a borderline top-75 starting pitcher in this week’s rankings. His upside is much higher than many of his contemporaries, but I expect inconsistency to continue to plague him throughout the summer. Greene has allowed the third-most home runs in baseball this season at 17, and I would not expect that to drastically change given his rather limited array of pitches. He is also a candidate to have his innings limited towards the end of the season with Cincinnati well out of contention.

Riley Greene Recap and Outlook

Riley Greene is a five-tool talent who can make an immediate impact in fantasy leagues. Last season, he totaled 24 home runs and 16 stolen bases in just 124 ball games while hitting over .300. It appeared as though Greene would also get called up with the big club to begin the 2022 season. However, Greene suffered a fractured foot on a foul ball during the final week of Spring Training. Greene endured nearly two months of rehab before finally making his 2022 debut in late May with Single-A Lakeland. Detroit will officially call Greene up in time for Saturday’s game against Texas. Fantasy managers should immediately grab Greene if he is available. He is currently rostered in 85 percent of Fantrax leagues, which means there is a chance you can still acquire his services for the remainder of the year.  

Like his namesake, Riley Greene’s fantasy stock is much greater in dynasty formats than in redraft leagues. Though immensely talented, Greene will not be able to single-handedly turn the Tigers into even a halfway decent offense. This is a team that is currently averaging just 2.64 runs per game and has been considerably worse recently. They have scored just 31 runs in 15 June games, and have scored one run or fewer in more than half (8) of those contests. Greene’s presence will undoubtedly bring a renewed energy to the club and the fanbase, but I don’t think anyone should expect any miracles here.

I bumped Riley Greene into my top 300 overall and he is now inside my top 100 among outfielders. As is the case with Hunter, Riley’s upside is higher than many of the players he is surrounded by in my rankings. We are always chasing potential, so I can certainly see dropping someone with a lower ceiling in pursuit of Greene’s fantasy-friendly game. However, I believe that he will also encounter some volatility, especially given the condition of his team’s offensive malaise.

Rest of Season Fantasy Baseball Rankings