The Detroit Tigers have plenty of problems in the early going this season—but Riley Greene is definitely not one of them.

The two-time All-Star has been on an absolute tear, establishing himself as one of the most productive hitters in baseball since mid-April. Entering play Wednesday, Greene ranks third in the American League with a .315 batting average, fifth with a .414 on-base percentage, and eighth with an .897 OPS. His 13 doubles are tied for second-most in the league.

But here’s where it gets really impressive: Over the last 28 games, Greene has been scorching hot. Since April 11, he’s slashing .379/.478/.600 with a 1.078 OPS, nine doubles, four home runs, and 14 RBIs. That’s elite production by any standard.

“Yeah, feeling good,” Greene said with a calm confidence. “I’m not really focusing on all that. I’m just focusing on putting together good at-bats and hitting the ball hard.”

And he’s doing exactly that. His hard-hit rate sits at 50%, meaning half the balls he puts in play leave the bat at 95 mph or harder. That’s a number that would make any hitter proud.

So what’s changed? Greene credits a more disciplined approach at the plate—something he admits he strayed from last season.

“I’m just sticking to my approach,” he explained. “I’m not really going away from it as much as I did last year. I felt like I got away from it a lot and I’m really trying to focus on sticking with it the whole time.”

That approach means he’s not trying to launch every pitch into the stands. Instead, he’s become more selective, more willing to drive the ball up the middle or to the opposite field when the situation calls for it. The numbers back him up:

• His swing rate has dropped from 52.6% last season to 42.9%—he’s swinging at fewer pitches overall.
• He’s chasing 6.6% fewer pitches outside the zone (a 24.7% chase rate, down from 31.3%).
• His strikeout rate has improved from 30.7% to 27.6%.
• And perhaps most telling: his walk rate has doubled, jumping from 7% last year to 14.4% this season.

All of this progress comes without a major overhaul of his swing mechanics. His launch angle has only dipped slightly from 15 degrees to 14 degrees, showing he’s making smarter decisions rather than changing his entire approach.

There is one area that still feels like it’s lagging—and it almost seems unfair to mention it—but the home run numbers haven’t quite caught up yet. Still, when you’re getting on base at a .414 clip and hitting doubles at an elite rate, the long balls are likely just around the corner.

For a Tigers team searching for stability and production, Greene’s maturation at the plate is a bright spot that can’t be overlooked. Whether you’re a Detroit fan or just a baseball purist, watching this young star refine his craft is a reminder that sometimes the best adjustments are the simplest ones.