Opposition research: Austin Riley

It’s a bit silly to look at players’ statistics after the first week of April. The small number of games played mean that a couple of games can dramatically alter a player’s statistical line in either direction. Therefore, we probably can’t draw any real conclusions from Austin Riley’s current slash line of .143/.211/.257.

Riley certainly isn’t alone in his struggles. The Braves are 1-8 on the season, and you don’t get there without a lot of players failing to meet expectations. But considering his importance to the Braves’ lineup, Riley’s underperformance has perhaps been the most visible.

There appears to be some concern among Braves fans as to why the one-time star isn’t hitting the way he…