Austin Riley just completed one of, if not, the best month ever by a Braves hitter as he continues to cement himself as a superstar in Major League Baseball, and he’s been rewarded with a megabuck contract that will keep him in Atlanta for the next decade.
The Braves 3B today inked a 10-year, $212 deal with the 25-year-old slugger set to make $15 million in 2023, $21 million in 2024, and $22 million over the remainder of the contract running through 2032—the biggest contract in Braves franchise history. The contract also includes a $20 million club option for 2033.
In the month of July, Riley not only broke Hank Aaron’s record for extra-base hits in a month with 26, he also became just the second player to bat .400 with 10+ home runs in a single month as he finished July batting .423 with 11 home runs and 25 RBIs.
Currently leading the league with 61 extra-base hits, Riley is on pace to set career highs in home runs—four away from his 2021 total of 33—and XBHs and he owns a .301 average this season through 101 games. Over his career, which began in the big leagues in 2019, Riley is a .280 hitter with an .865 OPS.
Crediting general manager Alex Anthopoulos for taking care of another home-grown player, Carl Dukes said the timing of the deal couldn’t have been better for the Braves.
“It’s a good deal because of Austin Riley’s age. You’ve seen him enough to trust what you’re seeing and the idea here is—and I love what Alex Anthopoulos is doing—I’m not going to allow him to play for a couple more years under arbitration and potentially get to the free market where this same contract is going to cost you $350 million…This is a smart move by the Braves and he’s performing at a high level,” Dukes said reacting to the breaking news on 92.9 The Game.
Dukes & Mike Bell added that, not only has Riley become one of the better hitters in the league, his glove has continued to improve throughout his career.
Riley joins Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson as core players on long-term deals, but Dukes & Mike Bell did wonder aloud what the deal means for Dansby Swanson who is set to hit free agency at the end of the season and a potential Max Fried deal down the road.
Riley was selected to his first All-Star game in July, and there will surely be many more accolades to come as he holds down the hot corner in Atlanta for the foreseeable future.
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