Austin Riley Promoted to the Atlanta Braves… as an outfielder?

With roughly a quarter of the 2019 season complete, the time has finally come — third-baseman-turned-outfielder Austin Riley has made it to the Show.

Early Wednesday morning, the Atlanta Braves made the decision to call-up 22-year-old Austin Riley.  Riley’s career-best start to the season, coupled with Ender Inciarte leaving Tuesday night’s game with back tightness, created an almost perfect situation for the Braves #2 prospect (33rd in MLB).

This move might have been imminent regardless – Jerry Blevins was DFA’d on Tuesday, which created a 40-man roster spot for Riley – but now the mashing youngster comes into a situation where he can play left field, third base, or first base (as Freddie Freeman is apparently still ill).

As if we needed any more confirmation regarding Austin Riley and how great he is right now — a validation of such a thing never hurts. He has represented the Atlanta Braves rather well during the first month of 2019, especially last week.

On Monday, Riley won the International League Batter of the Week award for his superb performance during last week’s slate.

It was a week of 8 more base-hits, 5 more extra-base hits, 4 homers and 8 more RBI. Like the previous 5 weeks before, Austin Riley has continued to ascend towards heights of not just a future big league player — but towards a much more sustainable class of player — a ‘complete’ big league player.

Riley’s Hot Start

As of this past Sunday — the end of last week’s schedule — Riley sits at a 19.1 K%, an almost 180 degree flip from last season, when he finished at 29.3%. His current walk-rate is 11.1%, a mark he’s reached only once in his career, back in 2015 in a sample size of six games (he had a 10.7 BB% in 30 games while in Rookie ball in his Draft year).

With what he’s shown in Gwinnett this season, Riley is on the verge of no longer being overshadowed by subpar plate-discipline and an abundance of strikeouts. This season Austin Riley has drastically improved an already impressive resume.

The power has always been there, no question. In 2018, he finished with 18 home runs in 102 games combined between Mississippi and Gwinnett, plus one long ball during his six-game rehab stint with the Rookie club.

This season, Riley already has 15 home runs in Gwinnett, in roughly a third of the plate-apperances he had last year. The month of May has been a great for month for Riley as well. His 10 home runs for this month are tied for the most ever by a Gwinnett player in the month of May.

And frankly, if he didn’t improve a lick this season in regards to his K-rate and on-base percentage, he’d still most likely be on a big league roster within the next year or two, given how strikeouts have become so tolerable.

Sudden Vers-utility

But it appears Austin Riley has become interested in graduating from merely a corner-power guy — he’s shooting for a style of play that produces MVPs. And now he has his chance to show his gains at the major league level.

Paul Sporer, Fangraphs‘ fantasy baseball expert, ranked the top-10 current Triple-A players this season. Even though it’s pointed more towards fantasy baseball… value is value my friends.

Here’s what Sporer had to say about Riley:

"I remember seeing Riley at AFL and he had “the sound”. The sound off his bat was just different. It’s the ol’ “ya know it when you hear it”, but there were several of us who felt that way in November 2017. Riley had a strong three-level season last year, capping it off with a solid 127 wRC+ and 12 HR in 75 games. He’s already matched those 12 homers in just 33 games with a hot .305/.378/.664 line in 143 PA. There is no room at the inn for Riley right now, but if something opens up, be ready to pounce on this premium power bat slotted 2nd on Atlanta’s list."

“There is no room at the inn” is a comment by Sporer that depicts the unfortunate situation Riley was stuck in. But that situation no longer matters.

This past weekend Riley played left field exclusively, undoubtedly based on instructions from the Atlanta Braves front office.

It’s rather obvious what was intended by such a move. Riley can at least prove competent in the outfield, and there’s no doubt that he could contribute to the big league team, given his exceptional bat this season.

With Ender Inciarte hurt, the Braves outfield could easily be tinkered with in order to make room for such an anticipated home-grown talent, such as Riley.

Freddie Freeman was unable to punch hit last night, still suffering from the effects of the virus running rampant through the clubhouse, so even first base is a possibility.

Regardless of where he plays on the field, the adjustments that Riley has made and the gains that have came from such adjustments should be appreciated.

His level of play has reached another level and now he must play at another level, competition-wise. It sure is going to be nice to see him in a Braves uniform, and maybe he’ll keep evolving into the complete player it seems he’s on his way to becoming.

Oh, and Tuesday night Riley homered again, this time a grand slam to kick off the week with a splash (the Stripers were off Monday).

How do you think Austin Riley will do in the Majors? Do you think it was the right decision to call him up?