Greene Street Hooligan

Riley Greene (DET): 2-7, 2 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI.

Detroit Tigers superstar Riley Greene celebrated being named an All-Star starter for the first time by blasting two three-run HRs in the first game of a doubleheader against the Nationals. No hitter in baseball has been hotter than Greene over the past few months, and he has put up a whopping 53 RBI since May 1. Greene broke out in 2024 (.262/.348/.479 with 24 HRs), making his first All-Star game as a reserve, and he is going to easily eclipse those numbers in 2025 as he is already at .296/.346/.552 with 21 HRs. Coupled with the Tigers’ equally rapid rise to success, Greene will be a household name sooner rather than later.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Wednesday:

 

Max Schuemann (ATH): 3-4, HR, R, RBI.

Athletics utility man Max Schuemann popped his second HR of the season and added a pair of singles in the team’s 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. Schuemann has never displayed a ton of power during his professional career, but has solid speed and outstanding plate discipline, as evidenced by his 15.0 BB% and 16.8 K% in 2025.

 

Yandy Díaz (TB): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.

As the weather has heated up, so has Yandy Díaz as the 33-year-old cranked his 14th HR of the season in the middle of Tampa Bay’s five-run sixth inning on Wednesday. Diaz has been scorching hot over the last month, hitting .388/.457/.628 with seven HRs and his typical good plate discipline (14 walks, 17 strikeouts). After taking a bit of a step back in 2024 from his 22 HR career year in 2023, it looks like that was not just an outlier for Diaz.

 

Josh Lowe (TB): 2-4, HR, R, RBI, BB.

It has been a tough, injury-riddled season for Josh Lowe, but it looks like the 27-year-old is starting to put things together. The 6’4″, 220-pound outfielder has always oozed unlimited potential, and he looked like he was starting to capitalize on that potential in 2023 when he hit .292/.335/.500 with 20 HRs and 32 stolen bases; however, injuries and strikeouts plagued him in 2024. Injuries continue to dog him, but he has the strikeouts down to a career-best 21.3% and he is hitting .423 with two HRs over the last week.

 

Isaac Collins (MIL): 4-5, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.

Mets pitching could not figure out Isaac Collins in the first game of the doubleheader, as the 27-year-old outfielder got on base five times, including hitting his fifth HR of the season. One of a couple diminutive Brewers outfielders, Collins has enjoyed a solid first full season in the majors and has been particularly good over the past month, hitting .306/.417/.518 with four HRs and four stolen bases.

 

Joey Ortiz (MIL): 1-7, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, BB.

A major piece in the Corbin Burnes trade, Joey Ortiz has had an underwhelming 2025 as Milwaukee’s starting shortstop, hitting .208/.268/.305. However, after popping a grand slam in the sixth inning to blow open the Brewers’ 7-2 win over the Mets, Ortiz now has four HRs over the last week after only hitting two the entire season prior to that. The 26-year-old did hit 11 HRs in 2024 for the Brewers and had 19 in the minors in 2022 for Baltimore. The second half of this season could prove to be a pivotal time for Ortiz if he wants to hold down his starting position as Milwaukee contends for a playoff spot.

 

Max Kepler (PHI): 3-8, HR, R, 2 RBI.

Max Kepler hasn’t provided quite the production Philly fans were hoping for when they signed him this offseason, but his numbers might look a little different if he didn’t have two HRs robbed this season. The former Twin was able to sneak a 104.9 mph liner over the wall for his 10th of the season off Dylan Cease to give the Phillies the lead. The 32-year-old has raised his BB% back up to his typical career levels and seems to be getting a little unlucky with a .230 BABIP. It doesn’t look like he will ever get back to his 36 HR season of 2019, but a big second half could be huge for a Philadelphia team that has maybe the best rotation in the majors.

 

Brandon Nimmo (NYM): 2-9, HR, R, 4 RBI, SB.

When the legend of Jacob Misiorowski took his talents to New York on Wednesday to face a struggling Mets team, it surely looked like he was destined for another dominant outing. Brandon Nimmo had other plans, sneaking a 361-foot fly ball over the right field wall for a grand slam to give the Mets a much-needed shot of life. Nimmo’s .199 ISO would be his best since the shortened 2020 season, and he is now up to 16 HRs in 2025 after averaging 21 long balls the past three seasons.

 

Francisco Lindor (NYM): 3-8, HR, R, 3 RBI.

Named the NL’s starting shortstop in the All-Star Game, Lindor followed up Nimmo’s grand slam with a solo HR of his own off Misiorowski, good for his 17th of the year. Mr. Smile hasn’t had much to smile about of late, as his .180/.215/.377 line over the last two weeks has contributed to the Mets’ struggles, but New York fans are hoping Wednesday night’s performance can spark something in this team heading into the break.

 

Aaron Judge (NYY): 3-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.

When the Yankees needed him most, their superstar came through, hitting a solo shot in the eighth inning to tie the game in Toronto after New York was down 8-0 early in the game. The towering righty has been nothing short of dominant in 2025, and his .363 average is evidence that the 33-year-old is still continuing to improve his game despite already arguably being the best hitter in baseball.

 

Addison Barger (TOR): 2-4, HR, R, 4 RBI, BB.

Winners of three in a row now over the Yankees to tie New York for the lead in the AL East, the Blue Jays roared to a big lead in the first inning thanks in part to a three-run HR by Addison Barger. The 25-year-old’s breakout this season has been one of the biggest reasons for Toronto’s success in 2025, and he has eight of his 10 HRs over the last 30 games. Barger has had intermittent success over the last few seasons, but it is important to remember he hit .308/.378/.555 with 26 HRs across three minor league levels in 2022. Whether he can continue hitting at this rate over the second half remains to be seen, but Barger has firmly put his name on the map as one of the most improved young players in the American League this season.

 

Davis Schneider (TOR): 2-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.

Davis Schneider has followed a similar career path as Barger, but the 26-year-old hasn’t been able to recreate the promise he showed in 116 at-bats for Toronto in 2023, hitting .276/.404/.603 with eight HRs. Over the last week, he has shown more of that promise, hitting .389/.500/.833.

 

Christian Encarnacion-Strand (CIN): 2-5, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.

Down 3-0 in the seventh inning Wednesday night in Boston, Christian Encarnacion-Strand stepped to the plate and crushed a ball 439 feet for a grand slam to put Cincinnati ahead in what would be an 8-4 win. The powerful first baseman has battled injuries all season and, as a result, is sitting at the bottom of the Reds’ lineup. The former top prospect could use a healthy second half to get his promising career back on track.

 

Matt Olson (ATL): 3-5, HR, 2B, R, 4 RBI.

The Atlanta Braves have endured a brutal 2025 season, but Matt Olson has been a bright constant in their lineup. The 31-year-old broke open Atlanta’s 8-3 win with a grand slam in the sixth inning, his 16th HR of the season. Olson dipped to 29 HRs in 2024 after hitting a career-high 54 in 2023. While I doubt he reaches that number again, Olson could sniff the 40 HR plateau with a big second half now that Atlanta has Ronald Acuña Jr. and Jurickson Profar back in the lineup.

 

Austin Slater (BAL): 2-5, HR, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI.

Lefty killer Austin Slater lived up to his reputation, hitting a first-inning triple and a third-inning HR off Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw to give the White Sox a brief lead they would not hold onto. Slater owns a career 122 wRC+ against lefties compared to an 83 wRC+ against righties.