In 2025, two young men have taken a step forward in major league baseball: James Wood and Riley Greene.
We knew the two young left fielders had talent, but stepping up the way they did during the 2025 season helped the cause of the Nationals and Tigers.
31 home runs and 94 RBIs for Wood as well as 36 home runs and 111 RBIs for Greene: that’s excellent.
However, like many players, they have a flaw in their game: they have often been out on three strikes. In 2025, only Wood (221) and Greene (201) have struck out more than 200 times in the regular season.
It is not for nothing that the Tigers GM wants more contacts from his outfielder…
Obviously, there are players who can afford to strike out. Kyle Schwarber (197) had quite a few, but that didn’t stop the Phillies from paying him a bridge of gold.
Guys like Cal Raleigh (188) and Shohei Ohtani (187) are stars, despite the Ks.
But on the contrary: a guy like Aaron Judge, who is a power monster, demonstrated that a player with such power can learn to calibrate and reduce the number of swings in a vacuum.
I’m not saying Wood and Greene will ever win a batting championship. That said, a progression in their case would consolidate their star status (to come) and help the cause of the Nationals and Tigers since they would be even more dangerous.
Will they be able to do it? The answer in 2026.
