The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Riley making strides
Plate discipline an issue, but defense improving.
LAKE BUENAVISTA, FLA.— Austin Riley had two doubles and two mammoth home runs in 24 at-bats in Grapefruit league games through Sunday, showing the line-drive swing and ample power that has the Braves excited about the potential of the strapping young Mississippian as their future third baseman.
He also has 10 strikeouts including a pair of three-strikeout games, an indicator of where Riley needs work before he’s deemed ready to take over at the hot corner. After going 0 for 8 with four strikeouts in his first three starts, Riley has gone 5 for 16 since.
“This is really the first time I’ve had a close and personal look at him — watch his routine, cage work, (batting practice), all of that,” Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer said. “He’s a really talented kid. For me he had some issues that he needed to work out with his swing. He gets a little drifty sometimes, starts to slide with his lower half, has a tendency to ‘cast’ and get a little long.
“(Catching prospect) Alex Jackson is kind of similar with the casting part. So I’ve showed them a couple of things to help keep them shortened up, and as the spring progressed it’s been really awesome to watch. Riley’s getting some results to go with it, and (at-bats) are getting better.”
Defense is another part of his game Riley is still refining.
He went from suspect to much-improved in the past year after a lot of work with Braves coach Ron Washington and minor league infield instructor Luis Lopez.
“Definitely know what I need to do,” Riley said. “Still got a lot of work defense-wise and approach-wise with my swing.”
After the Braves selected him in the first round of the June 2015 draft out of DeSoto Central High School in Southaven, Miss., there was speculation he’d eventually move to the outfield, that the thickly built Riley might lack the quickness and lateral movement to play third base. But
that talk has subsided as Riley (6-foot-3, 225 pounds), has worked to become leaner while improving his reactions and movement around the base.
He made 30 errors in 122 games at low Single-A Rome in 2016, his first full minor league season. Riley reduced that to 20 errors in 2017 and hit a combined .275 with 20 homers, 74 RBIs and a .786 OPS in 542 plate appearances, including 81 games at high-A Florida and 48 at Double-A Mississippi.
His stock ticked up after the promotion to Double-A, where he hit .315 with a .389 OBP and .900 OPS. Riley continued
that momentum in the prospect-laden Arizona Fall League, where he hit .300 with six homers and a 1.021 OPS in 77 plate appearances and had a league-leading .657 slugging percentage, just ahead of Peoria teammate and Braves phenom Ronald Acuna, who was the fall league MVP.
Riley and Acuna are just 20 years old, with Riley’s birthday in April and Acuna not until December. Acuna is expected to be the Braves’ left fielder soon and Riley, if he continues to develop, could be ready to take over at third base in 2019 and possibly see a late-season call-up this year.