NORTH PORT, Fla. — Braves third baseman Austin Riley doesn’t just look ready for the season. He looks primed to build off his MVP-buzzworthy 2021 performance.
Riley mashed two homers Wednesday against the Rays at CoolToday Park. The first came off Rays starter Shane McClanahan in the second frame. His second came in the fifth off former Brave Matt Wisler.
Riley, 24, is coming off a breakout season. He hit .303/.367/.531 with 33 homers, 33 doubles and 107 RBIs. His monstrous production placed him seventh in MVP balloting. Riley returns as a centerpiece of a powerful Braves lineup and, coming off a World Series title, he surely won’t be under the radar anymore, as he was for much of last season.
