Detroit Tigers slugger with 36 home runs denied chance to represent Team USA, receives recruitment offer from Puerto Rico squad

Riley Greene, 25, an outfielder for the Detroit Tigers, has delivered his finest performance this season with 36 homers. Media reports indicate his desire to compete for the USA in the World Baseball Classic, but the American team has not yet incorporated him into their lineup plans. At the same time, Puerto Rico’s national team is making efforts to recruit him, but he has not provided a definite answer so far.

This marks Greene’s fourth season with the Tigers, during which he posted a .258 batting average, 36 home runs, and 111 RBIs—both his home run and RBI totals are career highs. His outstanding performance earned him the American League Silver Slugger Award. According to the Detroit Free Press, as the Classic approaches, Greene is eager to represent Team USA, but the team has yet to include him in their plans. Team USA’s general manager Michael Hill said in an interview: “We’ve discussed him multiple times... He bats left-handed, so we’ve been considering how to balance left and right hitters to avoid having too many of either. He is indeed one of the candidates we’re considering, but we need to ensure the lineup’s balance.”

Looking at the current list of outfielders for Team USA, Corbin Carroll and Pete Crow-Armstrong are both left-handed hitters, with Aaron Judge being the only right-handed batter.

However, reports also mention that the Puerto Rican national team has extended an invitation to Greene. Team general manager Carlos Beltrán stated that they have not yet received Greene’s final decision. “If he joins, it would be fantastic. He’s an efficient scorer with tremendous talent, and I really admire the way he plays the game.”