Struggling to find consistency, Austin Riley has opened up about the ongoing battle to regain the form that once made him one of baseball’s premier third basemen. Although the Atlanta Braves have compiled Major League Baseball’s best record in 2026, Riley has endured a number of difficult performances, including Thursday afternoon’s four-strikeout outing against the Red Sox.
The 2026 season has been a frustrating cycle of one step forward and two steps back for Austin Riley, as the 29-year-old third baseman has struggled to string together consecutive good games at the plate. Following Thursday’s rough performance, Riley’s slash line fell to .216/.288/.376, while his 88 wRC+ ranks 16th among 22 qualified third basemen in 2026.
As the Braves continue to wait for Riley to break out of his slump, the scrutiny surrounding his underperformance only continues to intensify. Naturally, when a player signs the largest contract in franchise history, a season like the one Riley is enduring is bound to test a player’s mental fortitude. The question now becomes: Where do the Braves go from here with Riley?
The Braves truly have no choice but to ride out the struggles of Austin Riley
Braves manager Walt Weiss has tried a variety of approaches to help Riley rediscover his form in 2026. He has given him mental breathers with occasional days off and even moved Riley down in the lineup in an effort to ease some of the pressure. Unfortunately, nothing the team has attempted has sparked a sustained turnaround at the plate for Riley.
When a player is making as much money as Riley, it becomes difficult to simply bench him outright. With Riley under contract through at least 2032, the Braves have to approach his struggles much differently than they would with other players who aren't linked to the team so far in the future.
We’ve seen the heights a red-hot Riley can take an offense to, but it has been quite some time since that version of Riley consistently appeared. Clearly, his confidence has taken a significant hit, and at this point, it is fair to wonder whether a physical issue may also be contributing to his struggles. If that is the case, a mental and physical reset through a 10-day injured list stint may not be the worst option for Riley or the Braves.
At the end of the day, the Braves still believe in Riley because they have seen firsthand the type of player he can be when he is at his best. However, belief alone will not quiet the growing concerns surrounding his prolonged struggles at the plate. Whether Riley simply needs more time to work through the mental side of the game or a physical reset to fully recover, Atlanta must find a solution sooner rather than later. For a team with championship aspirations, getting Riley back to form could ultimately determine just how far the Braves can go in 2026.
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