The Atlanta Braves have been one of the more productive offensive teams in baseball this season, with several players playing major roles in keeping the lineup dangerous. Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin, Michael Harris II, Mauricio Dubon and others have helped provide Atlanta with a steady stream of production throughout the year. (Yahoo Sports)
Still, strong team-wide numbers do not necessarily mean every player is performing at the same level. Baseball is an extremely difficult sport, and even talented players can go through stretches where their production falls short of expectations. For the Braves, one of the most notable examples has been Austin Riley.
Riley entered the season with significant expectations after establishing himself as one of Atlanta’s key offensive pieces. The Braves originally made a massive investment in him because of the power and consistency he displayed during his breakout years. In August 2022, Atlanta signed Riley to a 10-year, $212 million contract that runs through the 2032 season, with a $20 million club option for 2033. At the time, the deal was the largest contract in franchise history. (MLB.com)
That commitment reflected how highly the organization valued Riley. Before signing the extension, he had emerged as one of the most dangerous power hitters in the National League. His 2021 season saw him hit .303 with 33 home runs and 107 RBIs, while his performance in 2022 had him firmly in the conversation among the league’s elite third basemen. (MLB.com)
However, Riley’s recent struggles have made the remaining years and dollars on that contract increasingly important to the Braves.
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According to Baseball-Reference’s current salary information, Riley is scheduled to make $22 million annually from 2026 through 2032. That means Atlanta still has a substantial financial commitment tied to a player who has not consistently produced at the level the organization envisioned when it gave him the massive extension. (Baseball Reference)
The situation does not mean Riley has suddenly become an unproductive player. He remains capable of changing a game with one swing, and his recent RBI double during Atlanta’s August 6 victory over Miami showed that he can still contribute important hits. (Reuters)
The bigger concern is whether he can return to being the dominant middle-of-the-order hitter the Braves believed they were locking up for the long term.
Atlanta has enough offensive talent elsewhere in the lineup to absorb some of Riley’s struggles, which makes the situation less immediately damaging. But considering the size of his contract and the number of seasons remaining, the Braves will undoubtedly want to see him regain his previous form.
For now, Riley’s struggles represent one of the few blemishes on an otherwise productive Braves offense. The organization has invested heavily in him, and with millions of dollars still committed to his contract, his ability to rediscover his offensive consistency could become increasingly important to Atlanta’s long-term plans.
Looking at Austin Riley’s Contract
Austin Riley’s contract has become an increasingly important storyline for the Atlanta Braves as the veteran third baseman works to rediscover the form that originally made him worthy of a franchise-record investment.
Atlanta signed Riley to a 10-year, $212 million extension in August 2022, making it the largest contract in Braves history at the time. The guaranteed portion of the agreement runs through the 2032 season, while the deal also includes a $20 million club option for 2033. (MLB.com)
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With Riley under contract through 2032, Atlanta remains committed to paying him $22 million in each season from 2026 through 2032. According to the Braves’ current salary information, that represents seven seasons of $22 million salaries, or $154 million in scheduled salary from 2026-32 before accounting for the 2033 option. (Baseball Reference)
That is a significant amount of money for any organization, particularly when the player attached to the contract is experiencing an extended period of offensive inconsistency.
When Riley originally signed the extension, the contract looked like a major victory for Atlanta. He had established himself as one of the game’s premier power hitters and was coming off an outstanding stretch that convinced the Braves he was worth building around for the long term.
At the time, MLB noted that Riley had hit .302 with 62 home runs and a .924 OPS beginning with the 2021 season. His remarkable July 2022, when he hit .423 with 11 homers and a 1.344 OPS, further demonstrated why Atlanta was willing to make such a substantial commitment. (MLB.com)
The Braves were essentially betting that Riley’s production would remain at an elite level throughout the contract. Unfortunately, his performance in recent seasons has not consistently matched the standard he established during his best years.
That makes the remaining money on the deal much more significant.
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As much as Riley has accomplished during his career, Atlanta needs to see him regain his status as a middle-of-the-order threat. A long-term contract becomes considerably more difficult to evaluate when the player begins moving away from the production that earned the extension in the first place.
There is at least some reason for optimism. Riley has shown signs of improvement recently, suggesting that his struggles may not necessarily represent a permanent decline. His bat beginning to come around would be particularly encouraging for the Braves because the team still has so much money invested in his future.
The concern is that Atlanta cannot simply view this as another ordinary slump. Riley is not playing under a short-term deal that allows the organization to reassess the situation in a year or two. The Braves have committed to him through 2032, with the potential to keep him for an additional season if they exercise the 2033 option. (MLB.com)
That is why his ability to rebound at the plate could have major implications for Atlanta’s future.
Recent improvement would be welcome, but the Braves need more than a brief hot streak from Riley. They need him to become the dangerous hitter they believed they were securing when they handed him the largest contract in franchise history.
If Riley can return to consistently producing power, extra-base hits and quality at-bats, the contract could still prove to be a valuable investment. However, if his recent decline continues, the enormous amount of guaranteed money remaining on the agreement could eventually become a significant problem for Atlanta. (House That Hank Built)
Inside Austin Riley’s 2026 Season Thus Far
Austin Riley would likely be the first person to admit that his performance at the plate needs to improve. However, regardless of how self-aware the Atlanta Braves third baseman may be about his struggles, the numbers paint a difficult picture and show that he has not been able to produce at the level expected of him.
Through 425 at-bats this season, the two-time MLB All-Star is hitting just .221. Riley has recorded 14 home runs and 17 doubles, while his OPS+ sits at 82. That figure is particularly concerning because an OPS+ of 100 represents league-average offensive production. In other words, Riley has been producing at a level considerably below the average MLB hitter this season.
His plate discipline has also taken a step in the wrong direction. Riley has been striking out at a higher rate than he has in previous seasons while drawing fewer walks. Those trends have made it more difficult for him to consistently reach base and create opportunities for the Braves’ offense.
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The struggles are especially notable because Riley established himself as one of baseball’s premier power hitters from 2021 through 2023. During that three-year stretch, he averaged nearly 70 extra-base hits per season. His combination of home-run power, doubles production and overall offensive consistency played a major role in convincing Atlanta to make a massive long-term financial commitment to him.
The Braves ultimately signed Riley to a substantial contract extension in 2023, making him one of the biggest financial commitments in franchise history. The deal was based on the expectation that Riley would remain a middle-of-the-order force capable of providing consistent power for years to come.
Since then, however, his production has not matched those expectations.
Over his last 220 games, Riley has accumulated 30 home runs and 37 doubles. On the surface, those totals are hardly disastrous. A player capable of producing 30 homers and nearly 40 doubles over that span would still provide meaningful offensive value to most teams.
The problem for Atlanta is the context surrounding those numbers.
The Braves did not give Riley a massive contract expecting him to simply be a solid offensive contributor. They invested heavily because they believed he could be one of the most dangerous hitters in the lineup and a player capable of consistently producing at an All-Star level.
That distinction is important when evaluating his recent struggles.
Riley’s current numbers represent a significant decline from the offensive peak that helped establish his value. His inability to consistently generate extra-base hits, combined with the increased strikeouts and reduced walks, has made his overall offensive profile much less impressive.
For Atlanta, the situation is complicated by the size and length of Riley’s contract. The Braves are financially committed to him, meaning they cannot simply move on from him because of a prolonged slump. Instead, the organization has to hope that the 29-year-old can rediscover the form that made him such a productive hitter earlier in his career.
There is still plenty of time for Riley to turn things around, and his previous success provides reason for optimism. But until that happens, his recent production will continue to raise questions about whether he can live up to the enormous expectations attached to his contract.
The Braves need Riley to become more than just a respectable power hitter. They need the version of Riley who consistently drives the ball, limits his strikeouts, gets on base and anchors the middle of the lineup.
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