Riley Greene, Beau Brieske named 2021 Tigers Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year

DETROIT – Outfielder Riley Greene and righthanded pitcher Beau Brieske have been selected the 2021 Tigers Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year.

Greene, 21, combined to play in 124 games between Double A Erie and Triple A Toledo in 2021, hitting .301/.387/.534 with 25 doubles, eight triples, 24 home runs and 84 RBI. Greene is currently ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Tigers organization and the seventh-best prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.

Greene led all Detroit Minor Leaguers in batting average, hits (146), triples and total bases (259), while he was tied for the lead in runs scored (95), second in walks (63), third in RBI and on-base percentage, fourth in doubles, home runs and slugging percentage and fifth in OPS (.921). Greene was named to the Double A Northeast season-ending All-Star Team and was selected to participate in the upcoming Arizona Fall League and the 2021 Futures Game. He was originally selected by the Tigers with the fifth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft.

Brieske, 23, started 21 games between Single A West Michigan and Double A Erie this season, compiling a 9-4 record with a 3.12 ERA (106.2IP/37ER) and 116 strikeouts. He finished the season with a 1.01 WHIP and limited opponents to a .218 (85x390) batting average. MLB Pipeline ranks Brieske as the No. 27 prospect in the Tigers organization.

Brieske ranked third in the Tigers player development system in wins and strikeouts, while he was sixth in innings pitched. He was the only Detroit Minor Leaguer to throw a shutout and one of three to have a complete game. Brieske, one of Minor League Baseball’s biggest breakout players this season, was selected by the Tigers in the 27th round of the 2019 MLB Draft.