There might not be a player who could swing the Braves’ offense’s outlook more than third baseman Austin Riley.
Riley, 24, has teased the potential of providing a threatening bat to go with plus-rated defense. The offensive aspect hasn’t consistently materialized, however, as Riley has struggled making contact. He entered 2021 with a 34% strikeout rate in his first two seasons.
Yet it’s easy to forget it’s a small sample size for a player who hasn’t played a full season. Riley played in 80 games his rookie campaign and appeared in 51 contests during the shortened 2020 edition. The 2021 season is Riley’s first normal 162-game slate. There’s no Josh Donaldson stationed at third. There was no spring competition with Johan Camargo. It’s Riley’s job, sink or swim.
“The more I play, the more I’m going to figure out things,” Riley said. “Figure out how pitchers pitch me and stuff like that. As I continue to play, I think it’s only going to get better for me.”
There’s been promise lately. After a dreadful start, Riley showed life in the past week. He homered Wednesday and Friday in consecutive plate appearances (that were separated by an off-day). He had two multi-hit games.
One doesn’t need to be a scout to see Riley gaining confidence. Plate discipline is key.
“The biggest thing is staying inside my zones,” Riley said. “Setting a plan and trying to execute to the best of my ability. I think that’s going to be huge. It helps me lay off pitches, so if I continue to do that it’ll help a lot.”
Since April 18, Riley is 6-for-11 (.545) with two homers, three RBIs and four walks. He went five consecutive games (22 plate appearances) without striking out before fanning twice Friday.
Riley is a streaky player, so it’s difficult to make judgements after only a few games. But there’s reason for optimism.
“It’s been better,” manager Brian Snitker said. “The walks, the at-bats have been more solid. Little things like that are the positives you look for that could get a guy going. You want to get him going. He’s so good at third, too, my God. Hopefully he just gets confidence in things.
“That’s what it’s all about, feeling good and confident. It’s not going to be for lack of effort, lack of work or lack of want or trying or caring. He has all of the above.”
And that’s why the Braves remain bullish on Riley. It’s easy to love the makeup and what he potentially can become. The lows are frustrating, but the highs show a player who adds that much more pop to a dangerous Braves lineup. He was popularly compared with four-time All-Star (and one-year Brave) Troy Glaus. When Riley catches fire, it’s easy to envision him knocking 30-plus homers a year.
The Braves know what the top of their lineup provides. They also know the lower portion of the lineup isn’t so menacing. But Riley’s emergence would take the offense closer to its 2020 level and change the dynamics of the conversation. It’s far too early to say and more patience is required, but after the past week, consider the Braves cautiously optimistic.
“I know what he’s capable of,” shortstop Dansby Swanson said. “This is a very hard game. I know it’s easy to lose sight of that as a player, as a fan, my parents, his parents. It’s a really hard game, and sometimes it just takes one or two things to click. You can do everything right and still be wrong in this game.
“The biggest thing for him is he’s starting to find his rhythm again. It’s tough to find your rhythm when you’re struggling. It’s hard to generate rhythm. I just feel like he’s been really generating his own rhythm and letting his work show. I’m definitely happy for him, exciting for him going forward.”
