This time last month a vocal minority of St. Louis Cardinals fans were clamoring for Tyler Greene to be designated for assignment; his average had been bouncing around .200 and he'd shown none of the plate discipline or power that would make that kind of thing palatable. Now he's their newest hero, having homered dramatically in the Cardinals 4-3 win Monday. So: Can the Cardinals' perennial shortstop near-prospect be their future at second base?
↵The way he's hitting now—like a middle infielder who went to the Jeromy Burnitz Academy, with a line of .253/.322/.494—it's not even a question; that's the kind of line that will put Brandon Phillips's grandchildren through college. He almost certainly won't continue to hit quite like this, of course, which is why I'm asking.
↵But if he continues to show home run power and make enough content to keep his average within 15 points either way of respectability he looks like a solution the Cardinals could count on for two or three years while they wait for Kolten Wong to come along and make sure Rafael Furcal is wrapped sufficiently in styrofoam. It helps that he's an outstanding baserunner.
↵This morning, the Cardinals having ended their skid in a suitably dramatic way, is a time for optimism, so I'll leave you with this: In 267 games with the Memphis Redbirds, Tyler Greene hit .291/.373/.477, and stole 68 bases in 78 chances. He's a very talented guy.
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