Austin Riley is at his last stop before manning third base for the Braves.
Riley made his Triple-A debut Monday night, going 1-for-5 with a single and three strikeouts in Gwinnett’s 5-4 loss to Charlotte.
With Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies graduated to the big leagues, Riley ranks as the organization’s top position talent. He’s commonly projected as the team’s long-term answer at the hot corner.
“It was actually not bad,” he said. “I had three strikeouts, but you know, it is what it is. Got my first knock. Got my feet wet. Got my first ground ball. Excited to be here and get after it again tomorrow.”
Riley’s lone hit came on the second pitch of his first at-bat. He was jammed, but reached on a soft-contact single that dropped in front of right fielder Juan Perez.
“I got a little jam shot, but I’ll take whatever it is,” Riley said. “It’s my first one.”
He flew out to center and struck out twice in his ensuing two opportunities. The second strikeout came with Danny Santana at third and two down in the sixth, with the Stripers trailing by a run. He just missed a double down the left-field line earlier in the at-bat.
The game ended on Riley’s third strikeout. That wrapped up a long three-day sequence for the 6-foot-3, 220-pound slugger.
The Braves told Riley he was promoted after Saturday’s game in Pensacola. He flew home at 6 a.m. the next day, visited with family and drove to Lawrenceville early Monday morning.
In 27 games with Double-A Mississippi, Riley hit .333 (33-for-99) with 10 doubles, three triples, six homers and 20 RBIs. He topped the Southern League in slugging (.667), extra-base hits (19) and home runs. He was second in doubles and RBIs, while ninth in average.
It was a continuation of Riley’s success at the level last season. Riley hit .321 with 19 doubles, four triples and 14 homers in 75 games.
“What we really want to see is for him to get more experience against more veteran pitchers - do a little bit more with the baseball, use off-speed when behind in the count, spot the ball a little more,” Stripers manager Damon Berryhill said. “We want to see him get more at-bats against more veteran players.”
Riley hit .208 (5-for-24) with two homers and four RBIs in 12 spring training games before he was sent to minor-league camp March 14.
The major league spring games were Berryhill’s only observations of Riley.
“I’ve seen good poise at the plate, plus power, uses the whole ballpark,” Berryhill said. “He’s really developed a lot at third. He’s come a long way from when I saw him last year to this year. He’s made good strides and deserves the opportunity to be here. I think he’ll fit in really nicely with this club.”
Riley, 21, was Baseball America’s No. 54 overall prospect entering the year, and No. 6 in the Braves system. If he progresses accordingly, Riley could get his first taste of the majors this season.
The Braves already boast the three youngest players in the majors in Acuna, Albies and Mike Soroka. Riley and starter Kolby Allard, 20, appear next in line.
“I’m feeling very, very confident,” Riley said. “But it’s a new team, new style they’re going to pitch me. You see the light at the end of the tunnel, but at the same time you can’t think about that. As soon as you start thinking ‘I’m there,’ you’re not.
“There’s always something to improve on. You can’t be satisfied at any point or this game’s going to punch you in the face.”
The Braves passed on investing at third base in the offseason last winter largely because of Riley. His development will impact the team’s upcoming offseason plans, when veteran infielders Josh Donaldson and Manny Machado, among others, are scheduled for free agency.
Riley’s aware of what’s been said about him, as much as he’d rather not be, and hopes to repay the team’s belief in him.
“You try to stay away from that stuff, but yeah, you do hear it,” he said. “That’s awesome that they have the confidence in me. I’m going to try to show them that I can be the third baseman for them every day. So we’ll just see.”
