Hunter Greene facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hunter Greene
Greene with the Louisville Bats in 2021
Cincinnati Reds – No. 21
Pitcher
Born: (1999-08-06) August 6, 1999 (age 26) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Bats: Right Throws: Right
debut
April 10, 2022, for the Cincinnati Reds
MLB statistics (through June 3, 2025)
Win–loss record	22–28
Earned run average	3.74
Strikeouts	558
Teams
Cincinnati Reds (2022–present)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star (2024)
Medals Men's baseball Representing USA U-15 Baseball World Cup Silver 2014 Mazatlán Team U-18 Baseball World Cup Gold 2015 Osaka Team

Christian Hunter Greene (born August 6, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher. He plays for the Cincinnati Reds in Major League Baseball (MLB). The Reds chose him second overall in the 2017 MLB Draft.

Hunter was born in Los Angeles, California. He learned to pitch at the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy in Compton. His fastball was very fast even when he was young. In his first year at Notre Dame High School, his fastball reached 93 miles per hour. By the time he finished high school in 2017, it was up to 102 miles per hour!

The Reds drafted Greene right out of high school. He joined their team's minor league system instead of playing college baseball. Hunter had an elbow injury in 2018. He needed surgery called Tommy John surgery in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic meant he couldn't pitch in 2020. But when he came back in 2021, he quickly moved up through the minor leagues.

Greene joined the Reds' main team for Opening Day in 2022. In only his second major league game, he set an MLB record. He threw 39 pitches that were 100 miles per hour or faster! He was also chosen for his first All-Star Game in 2024.

Hunter Greene's Early Life

Hunter Greene was born on August 6, 1999, in Los Angeles, California. His mom, Senta, was an education expert. His dad, Russell, worked as a private investigator. When Hunter was seven, in 2007, he joined the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy in Compton, California.

This academy helped Hunter learn how to pitch. He also played in many youth baseball events. One of these was the Junior Home Run Derby. It happened at the 2016 MLB All-Star Game in Petco Park.

At Notre Dame High School, Hunter played shortstop when he wasn't pitching. His fastball was already 93 miles per hour when he was a freshman. By his senior year, it reached an amazing 102 miles per hour.

During his four years in high school baseball, Greene had a great pitching record. His earned run average (ERA) was 1.62. He pitched 121 and one-third innings and struck out over 30% of the batters he faced. In his senior year, he won 3 games and lost 0. His ERA was 0.75 in five games. He struck out 43 batters and only walked four in 28 innings.

Hunter was also a good hitter. He batted .324 with six home runs. He also had 28 runs batted in (RBI). In April 2017, Hunter Greene was on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. He was only the 13th high school athlete to be on the cover.

Hunter Greene's Professional Baseball Journey

Starting in the Minor Leagues (2017–2021)

Many people thought Hunter Greene would be the very first player picked in the 2017 MLB draft. But the Minnesota Twins picked Royce Lewis instead. So, the Cincinnati Reds chose Greene second overall. Hunter had planned to play college baseball for the UCLA Bruins. But he decided to sign a professional contract with the Reds.

His signing bonus was $7.23 million. This was a very large amount for a player drafted at that time. After signing, Greene joined the Billings Mustangs. This was a team in the Reds' minor league system. He mostly pitched, but sometimes he was a designated hitter too. He started three games for the Mustangs. He had a 0–1 record with a 12.46 ERA. He struck out six batters in four and one-third innings. When he batted, he hit .233 with three RBI in 30 tries.

In 2018, Greene found it hard to pitch against older, more experienced hitters. In his first five starts, his ERA was 13.97. Batters hit .420 against him. But he got better with coaching. For nine games, his ERA was 2.78. He struck out 54 batters in 45 and one-third innings. He even pitched in the 2018 All-Star Futures Game.

Hunter's 2018 season ended early in August. He hurt his right elbow. The Reds hoped it would heal without surgery. But in March 2019, he had a setback. He then had Tommy John surgery to fix the ligament in his elbow.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hunter did not pitch in 2020. The minor league season was canceled. When he returned in 2021, he played for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts. He started seven games there. He had a 5–0 record with a 1.98 ERA. He struck out 60 batters in 41 innings.

On June 15, he moved up to the Triple-A Louisville Bats. He started 14 games for them. He had a 5–8 record with a 4.13 ERA. He struck out 79 batters in 65 and one-third innings. The Reds limited how many innings he could pitch that season. He stopped pitching on September 17 after 106 and one-third innings. For the whole 2021 season, Greene had a 3.30 ERA and 139 strikeouts. In November, the Reds added him to their main roster. This protected him from being picked by another team.

Playing for the Cincinnati Reds (2022–Present)

Hunter Greene did very well during spring training. He made the Reds' Opening Day roster for the 2022 MLB season. He played his first major league game on April 10. The Reds won 6–3 against the Atlanta Braves. Greene allowed three runs and four hits. He struck out seven batters over five innings.

In his second start, on April 17 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Greene set an MLB record. He threw 39 pitches that were 100 miles per hour or faster! The old record was 33 pitches. Even with his amazing pitching, the Reds lost that game 5–2.

Hunter had a tough start to his major league career. He had a 1–5 record with a 7.62 ERA in his first six starts. He also gave up 11 home runs. But he got much better in his next six games. He had a 2–2 record with a 3.18 ERA. He only gave up four home runs during that time.

On August 1, Greene pitched six innings without giving up any runs against the Miami Marlins. This was his third game where he pitched at least six innings, struck out eight or more batters, and allowed only one hit or less. This was a record for rookie pitchers in the modern baseball era. Four days later, Greene was placed on the injured list. He had a right shoulder strain.

In 2023, Greene had a 3.93 ERA in 14 starts. He went on the injured list on June 19, 2023, because of right hip pain. He was moved to the 60-day injured list on July 31. He started playing again with the Arizona Complex League Reds the next day. On August 20, Greene was ready to play again. He started a game against the Toronto Blue Jays. He finished the 2023 season with a 4–7 record. His ERA was 4.82, and he had 152 strikeouts.

Greene started 26 games for the Reds in 2024. He had a 2.75 ERA and a 9–5 record. He struck out 169 batters in 150 and one-third innings. He was also chosen for his first All-Star Team that year.

On April 2, 2025, Greene got his 500th career strikeout. He struck out Jake Burger of the Texas Rangers. In that game, he pitched seven innings. He gave up three hits and one run, and struck out eight batters.

On May 7, Greene left a game against the Atlanta Braves after only three innings. He had a groin injury. The next day, it was confirmed he had a mild groin strain. He was placed on the 15-day injured list. He returned from the injured list on May 23 against the Chicago Cubs. He pitched four innings, giving up three hits and two runs. He also walked one batter and struck out three. The Cubs won the game, but Greene did not get a win or a loss. On June 3, Greene went back to the injured list for his groin. This happened after he pitched five innings against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Playing for the National Team

Hunter Greene first played for the United States in 2014. This was at the 2014 15U Baseball World Cup in Mexico. In his first game, he struck out four batters. He allowed only one run and three hits. The US team won 14–2 against Panama. Greene got the win in that game, and his fastball reached 93 miles per hour.

However, Greene and the US team won the silver medal. Cuba beat Team USA 10–2 in the championship game. Greene only pitched two innings in that final game. He allowed three runs and three hits, and struck out two.

The year after, in 2015, Greene played for the United States again. This time it was at the 2015 U-18 Baseball World Cup in Japan. Greene and Team USA won the gold medal! They beat the host team, Japan, 2–1 in the championship game.

Hunter Greene's Pitching Style

Hunter Greene's main pitch is his four-seam fastball. It usually goes around 99 miles per hour. But it has been recorded as fast as 104 miles per hour in the minor leagues! He also throws two breaking balls: a slider and a changeup.

When he was in the Reds' minor league system, some people worried about his other pitches. They wondered if he could develop a good off-speed pitch to go with his fastball. He stopped throwing a curveball to focus on his slider. His control got better as he moved up through the minor leagues. His changeup was still developing when he first started in the major leagues.

Hunter Greene's Personal Life

Hunter Greene and his family live in Stevenson Ranch, California. He has two younger siblings, a sister named Libriti and a brother named Ethan. Libriti was diagnosed with leukemia when she was five. She went into remission four years later. Outside of baseball, Hunter enjoys painting and playing the violin.