Atlanta Braves: Could Austin Riley be overtaking Johan Camargo at third?

What to believe

But I also have to remind myself this is spring training. He may look good now, but what if you start him out in Atlanta and he struggles? What does it do to his development if you have to send him back down again?

I almost think for the sake of his development it’s best for him to start the season at Triple-A to prove in real games that the adjustments he’s made are working and then bring him up.

It could certainly both go both ways, too. If Riley does have a great spring training — one significantly better than Camargo — and you still send if him down, what kind of message does that send to the young third baseman who you told was in a competition for the job?

Like with the starting rotation, having several players performing well is a good problem to have. And you have to hope no matter what happens all of these players are mature enough to take it in stride and keep working.

I really think/hope that if Riley does start the year in Triple-A it just makes him even more motivated to prove that the adjustments he’s made are real and he just rakes — forcing them to call him up right away.

But if he keeps hitting the way he has and having good at-bats, it’s going to be hard not to put him on the Opening Day roster.