The questions regarding the young outfielder revolve around his defense. Both his speed and his arm grade out as below-average tools. Most scouts say he'll wind up at one of the corner sports -- and that's just fine if his power translates to the bigs.
But Greene envisions himself in center, and that's where the Tigers plan to play him.
"He's going to play center field for us. That's the way we see it," said Detroit's director of amateur scouting Scott Pleis in a conference call with local reporters. "I think Riley alluded to it earlier, that's what he wants to do and he's constantly working to make that happen. So that's where he'll be, a center fielder."
It was a surprising bit of news in an otherwise ordinary question-and-answer session following the conclusion of the draft's second round.
Of course, it doesn't mean that the Tigers will keep Greene in center for good, or even that they envision him there long term. Only that he'll start there as he begins his ascent through the system, which might help him grow defensively.
As for the offense, what's not to love? Greene can flat out rake, and his power is only growing as he continues to fill out his 6'1 frame. You won't find a smoother left-handed swing at the high-school level.
During the Under Armour All-America Game last July at Wrigley Field, Greene banged a homer off the right field scoreboard. Just for good measure, he drilled it off fellow 2019 first-rounder Brennan Malone.
His approach at the plate?
"It’s really just see ball, hit ball," said Greene. "Simple. Stay back side, don’t try to pull anything. If it's there, pull it, but just try to stay in the middle of the field. Yeah, that’s pretty easy."
"Just because his swing is really nice," he said. "There's a lot of things I can take from his swing and add to mine to make it better."
The Tigers were in on Greene for a long time, dating back to his freshman year of high school. They sent more and more high-ranking personnel to watch him play over the past year, and had to feel comfortable with the pick Monday night. Pleis said they love Greene's mental makeup as much as his ability.
And Greene said the affection is mutual.