If Braves third baseman Austin Riley has surprised spectators with his recent play, they should prepare to be amazed, according to one teammate.
Riley continued his recent run with two doubles in the Braves’ 5-4 win over the Mets on Wednesday. It hasn’t been easy finding positives within the Braves during their 20-23 start, but Riley’s evident improvement ranks among them.
Riley and outfielder Ronald Acuna have been the team’s best offensive players this season. Acuna added to his budding MVP case Wednesday with a walk-off homer. Afterward, he spoke glowingly of Riley, saying he believes the slugger has even more to show.
“Tremendous work,” Acuna said of Riley’s recent play, via team interpreter Franco Garcia. “I mean, tremendous work by him. He’s been having a great set of games. I’ve seen him all the way through the minor leagues. We played in every minor-league level together. It doesn’t surprise me one bit to see him having the success that he’s had. He’s a superstar. He’s a tremendous player. He’s a tremendous person. You ain’t seen nothing yet from him.”
After Riley began the season dreadfully - he slashed .182/.275/.182 across the first 15 games - he’s pulled a 180, showing new capabilities as a player, from a discipline standpoint, that many weren’t sure were possible.
“It’s so good to see him staying inside that ball like that,” manager Brian Snitker said after Wednesday’s game. “He has such good power the other way. That’s been really good the past few days. Hopefully he carries that on.”
Riley, 24, has taken what’s metaphorically called “the leap.” He’s hitting .355/.469/.581 with five homers, six doubles and 11 RBIs in his past 28 games. Overall, he’s hitting .299/.409/.453. Perhaps most notable, he’s increased his walk rate from 7.8% during the shortened 2020 season to 12.2% in 43 games this year. Despite a decrease in his hard-hit rate, Riley has been more productive than during any other stretch of his career.
The Braves have needed him. Most of their reliable performers have been anything but reliable thus far. Freddie Freeman’s undesirable results are well-documented, as are Marcell Ozuna’s. Dansby Swanson has had a tough start. The center-field situation is being salvaged by Guillermo Heredia, but it largely has been a mess. Catcher has been underwhelming, with Travis d’Arnaud starting slowly before his injury and William Contreras now figuring out the ropes.
If Acuna is correct, the Braves’ offense will be even more potent when Freeman and Ozuna get back to their expected averages. And Riley will have cemented himself the team’s long-term answer at third base - an issue that’s plagued the organization since Hall of Famer Chipper Jones’ retirement.
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