BREAKING!!Detroit Tigers’ Riley Greene on Home Run Derby: ‘I’ll think about it if I get the chance’
Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene, a first-time All-Star with 17 home runs in 90 games as of Tuesday, has expressed interest in participating in the Home Run Derby.
The 23-year-old hasn’t committed to the event but hasn’t ruled it out either. He needs an official invitation from MLB to make a final decision.
“If it comes, then I’ll think about it,” Greene said.
The Home Run Derby, part of the 2024 MLB All-Star Game festivities, is set for Monday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The winner will earn $1 million, while the runner-up will receive $750,000. The total prize pool is $2.5 million, with each participant earning $150,000.
Greene’s salary for 2024 is $766,300.
As of Tuesday night, six of the eight All-Stars participating in the Home Run Derby have been confirmed by MLB: Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson, Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm, Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, and Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez.
If MLB already has eight participants, Greene will only get a chance if another player withdraws due to injury.
Greene hasn’t competed in a Home Run Derby-style event since his days at Oviedo High School in Florida, from which he graduated in 2019. He doesn’t believe participating in the Home Run Derby will negatively affect his swing.
“In the past, when I’ve participated in them as a kid, I actually ended up hitting better afterwards,” Greene said. “It sounds strange, but I don’t think it would bother me too much.”
As of Tuesday, Greene is hitting .258 with 17 home runs, 47 walks, and 100 strikeouts in 90 games in 2024. His .236 isolated power ranks 15th among MLB’s 140 qualified hitters.
Greene credits his power surge to new trainer Ben De La Cruz and needed just 87 games to hit 17 homers in his third MLB season, surpassing the 16 homers he hit in 192 games during his first two seasons combined.
“Showing up, staying healthy, putting in the work, and trying to help the team win,” Greene said. “That’s my goal every day, to go out there and help us win.”
