Benefits of Austin Riley as Atlanta Braves everyday third baseman in 2020
By Seth Carter
Riley showed his weaknesses, but proved he could contribute
Riley made his Major League debut on May 15, when Ender Inciarte went down to an injury. At the time, Riley had already amassed 15 homers and 39 RBI while batting .299 in Gwinnett.
The following six weeks were astounding. Through just 15 games in May, Riley had a .397 OBP, 7 HR, and 20 RBI.
The signs of troubles-ahead were also evident during his hot streak. In his first 15 games, Riley amassed 21 strikeouts, including three games with three strikeouts.
In June, Riley came down to earth. He still hit seven homers but his average for the month was .226. He had 37 strikeouts in only 106 at-bats.
In July, the Riley-train flew off the rails and landed in an active volcano as he hit .156 with 30 strikeouts in 64 at-bats. Let that sink in, 30 strikeouts in 64 at-bats.
It was a long fall from May to July for Austin Riley. The second half of Riley’s rookie season sure made him look like a player that needed more seasoning (and marinating) in the minors.
As poorly as his rookie season ended, during the first half he proved he could be a contributor at the Major League level.
Riley ended his first Major League season with 18 home runs. Considering the torrid pace he was on in his first few weeks in the Majors, that sounds like a disappointment.
The total home run count was not a disappointing number. Eighteen home runs in only 274 at-bats showed some serious pop.
Based on his small sample size from last season, his 162-game average would end up looking like this: AVG .226, HR 36, RBI 99, K 219.
As bad as the strikeout number is, the power numbers are worthy of an opportunity, especially at his price.
How much will more work in the Minor Leagues help a guy who was dominating Triple-A already?