Atlanta almost gave up and traded latest stud Riley

HOUSTON – Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson stands by the batting cage, looks at the 24- year- old kid taking swings and stops talking.

“I’ve got to be honest,” says Jackson, special adviser to the Astros, “I never heard of this kid before. Never saw him play before. Man, has he ever gotten my attention. This kid can really play.” The kid is Austin Riley.

He is Atlanta’s third baseman, and a big reason why they are playing in the World Series and up 3- 2 over the Astros with Game 6 scheduled Tuesday ( 8: 09 p. m., Fox) at Minute Maid Park.

Riley, who hit .303 with 33 home runs, 107 RBI and a .898 OPS, had the best season by an Atlanta third baseman since Hall of Famer Chipper Jones more than a decade ago. When All- Star outfielder Ronald Acuna went down July 10 with a season- ending knee injury, Riley stepped up. He hit .333 with a league- leading 94 hits and 65 RBI after the All- Star break, third most in baseball. He joined Hall of Famers Eddie Matthews and Jones as the only Atlanta third basemen to hit at least 30 homers and 30 doubles at the age of 24 or younger.

But he came ever so close to becoming Atlanta’s worst nightmare.

Atlanta, believe it or not, nearly traded Riley this spring. The team debated whether it would be better off with a veteran, such as Josh Donaldson, Eduardo Escobar, Nolan Arenado or Luis Urias.

Team executives went around a room on a February morning and argued for and against sticking with Riley, with some convinced he was never going to live up to the hype.

“There were all of these people in this auditorium,” veteran third base coach Ron Washington told USA TODAY Sports, “giving their opinion, saying what he is, what he can do and what he can’t do. They were saying that one day they may have to trade him. When they came to me, I said, ‘ Stud.’ This kid is going to be a stud. He’s got the aptitude,

DALE ZANINE/ USA TODAY SPORTS Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley reacts after a double Sunday in Game 5.