Riley Greene and James Wood led the league in strikeouts: that has to change

In 2025, two young men took a step forward in Major League Baseball: James Wood and Riley Greene.

We knew the two young left-handed outfielders had talent, but to stand up the way they did during the 2025 season helped the cause of the Nationals and Tigers.

Wood had 31 home runs and 94 runs batted in, while Greene had 36 home runs and 111 runs batted in: that's excellent.

However, like many players, they have a flaw in their game: they were often retired on three strikes. In 2025, only Wood (221) and Greene (201) had more than 200 strikeouts in the regular season.

There's a reason why the Tigers GM wants more contact from his outfielder…

Of course, there are players who can afford to be out on strikes. Kyle Schwarber (197) had quite a few, but that didn't stop the Phillies from paying him a golden bridge.

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 freak, has shown that a player with that much power can learn to calibrate himself and reduce the number of swings in the gap.

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 Nationals' and Tigers' cause since they'd be even more dangerous.

Will they be able to do it? The answer in 2026.

This content was created with the help of AI.