Atlanta Braves fans are eagerly awaiting the return of former National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2025. While his bat is extremely valuable and needed in the lineup, there is another bat that could be key to the Braves returning as an offensive powerhouse.
Injuries plagued almost everyone on the 2024 roster and it was a tough season to get through for fans. Acuña going down with an injury was a massive blow, but an injury to Austin Riley late in the season really derailed things.
Riley’s fluke injury forced the Braves to add Gio Urshela to the lineup after he was conveniently released by the Tigers on the same day Riley was injured. Urshela played well all things considered, but he just isn’t the same impact bat that Riley is and the Braves need him back and healthy to get where they want to go in 2025.
Austin Riley returning to form in 2025 is imperative for the Braves
Riley was an All-Star for two straight seasons before his average 2024 season. I know he’s overshadowed by the impact that Acuña brings to the table, but Riley returning healthy in 2025 is just as big of a boost.
BP rips for Austin Riley. A great sight after his 2024 was cut short. #Braves expecting and needing big things from him. pic.twitter.com/N2a6U340i9
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) February 12, 2025
Atlanta’s third baseman recorded a 6.3 WAR in 2021 and 2022 while producing a 5.9 WAR in 2023. Over those three seasons, he batted .286 with 108 home runs, 297 RBI, and an impressive 135 OPS+ over 478 games. He only missed eight games during that time frame which shows just how durable he is. Riley should easily return to playing every day so long as he remains healthy.
Before the injury, Riley wasn’t having his best season in 2024. He batted .256 with 19 homers, 56 RBI, and a .783 OPS in 110 games last year. He fell 11 home runs shy of a fourth straight 30-homer season. His overall average wasn’t terrible, but not up to his standards by any means. One hopes that Riley used the downtime to refine his approach and come back even better than he has already shown to start his career.
Riley has the third-best WAR (18.4) among all MLB third basemen from 2021-2024. He is ranked just below Jose Ramirez and Manny Machado. The one thing Austin needs to improve on is his strikeout rate. Over that span, he has a 24.7% K-rate which is the 11th-worst since 2021 among third basemen.
It cannot be understated how important the Mississippi native is for the Braves. He is a clubhouse leader and great on-field talent. Hopefully, he will return to his All-Star ways in 2025 and help the team earn another NL East title.
