SEACAUCUS, N.J. (97.1 The Ticket) -- The Tigers have drafted outfielder Riley Greene out of Hagerty High School in Ovierto, Florida, with the fifth overall pick in the MLB Draft.
Greene, the highest ranked player available for the Tigers with the fifth pick, is the first high school player Detroit has selected in the first round since taking Matt Manning out of Sheldon High School in Sacramento, Calif., in 2016. He's the first position player the club has selected since Christin Stewart, also an outfielder, in 2015.
The Tigers had reportedly been in on the Florida commit for a long time. Greene is an excellent left-handed hitter with tools that should translate smoothly to the majors. Scouts say he's the best high-school bat in the draft.
The 6-foot-2, 190-lb. left-handed hitter has been dubbed "the best pure hitter" in the 2019 high school class.
With the 5th pick of the 2019 #MLBDraft, the Detroit #Tigers select Outfielder Riley Greene (@Greene21Riley), from Hagerty High School (@HagHSbaseball)@Tigers | #MotorOn pic.twitter.com/74OmXXb6Zg
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) June 3, 2019He has a "smooth and easy swing with present bat speed, plus power potential and an already established ability to recognize pitches and draw walks," according to MLB Network.
Greene was recently named the Gatorade Florida Baseball Player of the Year, and was a finalist for the Gatorade National Player of the Year.
"We're very excited to select Riley with our first pick in this year's draft," Tigers Director of Amateur Scouting Scott Pleis said in a press release. "He's a dynamic outfielder with a large frame and loose swing from the left side, and really knows how to find the sweet spot in a repeatable way. He's got what we call the 'hit gene' and matches his performance in the batters box with highlight-reel plays in the outfield on a regular basis. All of us in the Tigers Amateur Scouting Department are eager to see Riley reach his potential as he grows in our organization over the coming years."
Before his senior season at Hagerty, Greene was named a preseason first team All-American by Rawlings-Perfect Game.
Tigers GM Al Avila said the club's goal before every draft is to take the best player on the board with every pick.
"We're certainly happy that a player with so much offensive potential was available for us with the fifth selection," Avila said in a press release. "We're looking forward to Riley joining our growing group of young position players that are moving quickly in our system during their development towards the Major Leagues."
In 2018, Greene started all nine games for USA Baseball's 18U National Team at the U-18 Pan-American Championships, slashing .424/.548/.848. He led the team with three home runs and 20 RBI during the competition.
