Coming out of high school in 2017, Hunter Greene was a two-way baseball phenom, throwing well over 100mph and mashing balls over the fence with ease. This type of play would have made him one of the best college prospects in the country. Instead, Greene was doing this in high school, even being called the Lebron James of baseball prospects. Fast forward to today, and Greene is one of Major League Baseball’s most exciting rising stars.
Hunter Greene wasn’t just any exciting prospect coming out of high school, he was a generational prospect from the start. In his high school days, Greene was already throwing up to 102mph on his fastball, numbers some Major Leaguers won’t ever come close to touching. His fastball wasn’t just pure power; his mechanics were those that scouts deemed nearly perfect.
This would be more than enough to catch the eye of Major League scouts from all 30 clubs, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. On nights Greene wasn’t taking the mound as a starting pitcher, he was playing shortstop, his play receiving comparisons to greats such as Alex Rodriguez.
As if being elite at two of the most important positions in the field wasn’t enough, Greene also excelled in the batter’s box, finishing his high school career with a batting average of .337. Greene was the definition of an elite two-way prospect, a breed that seems to be dying in today’s day and age. With such a polished skill set at such a young age, it was no question that MLB teams would be frothing at the mouth for the chance to draft Greene.
After a stellar high school career, Greene was considered by many to be the top choice in the 2017 MLB draft. When the day finally came, the public was shocked to see the Minnesota Twins, the holders of the first overall pick, select Royce Lewis over Greene. This led to the Cincinnati Reds landing Greene at the second overall pick.
After signing with the team, he got to work and was sent into the farm system to develop his game. Greene struggled mightily at first, posting a double-digit ERA in his first year out of high school. Greene would soon adapt to the higher level of play and quickly rose through the ranks as he debuted in double-A Ball in 2021 (after a canceled 2020 season) and was called up to triple-A after just seven games.
In 2022, Greene was finally deemed ready for the Majors and showed signs of promise throughout his first two seasons. He was by no means elite, but it was evident that he had the tools to be an Ace in the Majors. Greene finally broke out in 2024, cementing himself as one of the premier pitchers in the game. Greene posted a 2.75 ERA across 26 starts, good enough to earn him his first All-Star selection as well as an eighth-place finish in National League Cy Young Voting.
In the young 2025 season, Hunter Greene somehow looks even better this year. In just three games pitched this season, he has gone 20.2 innings with a 1.31 ERA, tacking on 23 strikeouts as well. Greene pitched the deepest outing of his young Major League career on April 7, going 8.2 innings without allowing a single run. Although early in the year, if Greene can keep this pace up, the Cy is the limit for the 25-year old.
Plain and simple, Hunter Greene has been a dominant force on the mound, and somehow, he continues to get better and better with each year. The Reds got him for an absolute bargain of a deal, signing him to a six year/$53 million contract in April of 2023. Two years into his deal, Greene looks to continue his recent success and lead a young Cincinnati squad to the postseason.
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