Braves Today

Clutch Austin Riley can Carry Atlanta Braves into Playoffs

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley has the kind of ability to carry a team when he's hot.

CJ Errickson

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley has the ability to carry a team when he's hot.
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley has the ability to carry a team when he's hot. / Mady Mertens-USA TODAY Sports
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The Atlanta Braves are in a precarious position after splitting a series at Truist Park against the Miami Marlins. The team needs answers, as it is 5.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. More specifically, the offense needs an explanation. After losing 7-0 against the Marlins at home on Sunday, the team’s manager knows that is unacceptable.

“Glad we have an off day tomorrow so that we can get rid of this one, take a couple of showers.” Brian Snitker said.

On Tuesday, Atlanta kicks off a four-game set against the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, a team against which they won a series against last week. With just over a month and a half of the regular season, the team needs an offensive player to step up alongside designated hitter Marcell Ozuna consistently.

As he vies for a potential Triple Crown bid, things could be made easier for him and the entire Braves squad if one ‘old friend’ goes on a hot streak as he has done in years past down the stretch. 

Austin Riley has been good, but the Braves will be a playoff team if he can catch fire.

One of the better Braves this season has been Austin Riley, the team’s most consistent hitter after Ozuna. He is second on the team with 97 hits and third with 47 RBI’s. In the past seven days alone, he has been producing at a high level, with a .400 batting average with 10 hits in 25 at-bats.

Off the field, he has been through a lot, with the birth of a newborn last month and the passing of one of his life mentors a few months prior. Combine those events with an early-season injury that sidelined him for about a week, and that would dampen the outcome of most players’ seasons. 

However, he has been good, and if he takes things to another level in the long ball department, Atlanta will be in control of their own destiny. Riley has hit 30 or more homers each season for the past three years.

So far in 2024, he only has 15. With just over a month and a half before the season’s end, it remains to be seen if he can meet that benchmark. However, it would mean the club will likely be in a good place if he does.

Think back to 2021 and last season, down the stretch, when the team was at its best. Usually, it was a combination of contributors, but when the team’s most clutch hitter is at his best, so are the Braves.

The case is no different this season, as Atlanta needs another hitter to step up. Austin Riley is just the player who can get the job done, and when he is at the top of his game – the Braves are a tough team to beat. 

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CJ Errickson

CJ ERRICKSON