Last season, Austin Riley perhaps provided a glimpse of his future.
He finished seventh in National League MVP voting. He blasted 33 home runs and hit .303 with an .898 on-base plus slugging percentage.
Riley is a key member of the Braves’ lineup. The 25-year-old likely is still developing, but the Braves will need him at his best if they want to have a great chance at repeating as World Series champions.
Recently, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution conducted several Q&A’s at Braves spring training. Here is a quick chat with Riley:
Q: How can you continue playing at the level you did last season?
A: Just be consistent. I think that’s the name of the game and something that’s my main focus. Just be consistent with my routines, my work ethic, in the cage, with (third base and infield defense coach Ron Washington), just stuff like that. Be consistent, and I think I give myself a chance to be pretty successful.
Q: What do you guys have to do to repeat as champions?
A: I think just play our game. I think we’ve got a really good squad. If we can just stay healthy and not look at the end picture, just take it day by day. You do that, and at the end of the season, I think you give yourself a chance to make a good run.
Q: How do you evaluate your competitors in the NL East?
A: There are going to be some challenges. The Marlins have gotten better, the Phillies have gotten better, the Mets have gotten better. This division is pretty solid, and I think we’re just as solid. It’s just one of those things: It’s going to be a grind every day. You’re going to get their best guy because I feel like we have a target on our back for sure, and they’re going to be coming out swinging, so we’ve just got to be ready. But at the end of the day, if we just play our game, stay inside ourselves, not try to do too much, I think we give ourselves a good chance.
Q: So you think that target on your guys’ backs is real?
A: I think so, especially in our division. No doubt. And all over the league. I feel like if you win a World Series, just naturally you’re going to have a target on your back. And like I said, we’ve got a good squad again. I think teams are going to be coming after us.
Q: You guys lost Freddie Freeman but added talent. Do you think you guys are a better team than you even were last year?
A: It’s tough to say, to say if we’re better or not than last year. But the additions that (general manager) Alex (Anthopoulos) has made are pretty solid. Our bullpen is, to me, even more stacked. Adding (Matt) Olson is going to be huge. It’s going to be a fun squad. If you look at our lineup, we’re deep. Super deep. And our pitching staff is going to be good. So it’s going to be a fun squad.
Q: When you look around this clubhouse, who is one of the guys people don’t talk about enough that you think will have a breakout year?
A: For me, I think Kyle Wright is one of those guys you kind of have to keep your eye on because his stuff is nasty. It’s shown. The confidence that he built last year in the postseason, the game that he had, I think that goes into hopefully the confidence this year. Like I said, he’s a great guy. He’s got the stuff. It’s just a matter of putting it together. To me, hopefully this is his year.
