It is without a doubt that the Atlanta Braves have been one of Major League Baseball’s most exciting teams over the past two months. From their 14-game win streak in June that helped them close a 10 and a half game gap between them and National League East leading New York Mets, to stellar play from rookies Spencer Strider and Michael Harris II, the Braves have suddenly turned into a team determined to successfully defend its World Series title.
And while credit can be given to several Braves’ players for their performance at the plate, it has been that of third baseman, Austin Riley, that has stood out the most, so much so that after initially being snubbed by All-Star voters, the right handed slugger was eventually named to the NL All-Star team. Riley, who is on a one-year contract with the Braves, is riding a 19-game hitting streak while batting .297 on the season with 28 home runs, which is tied for third most this season and 64 RBI’s.
So with the Braves’ third baseman having an MVP type year, one can only wonder when and if the Braves will move to give Riley a deal and not find themselves in a very familiar position that saw Freddie Freeman head out west. On Tuesday, Jon Chuckery spoke with Kris Willis of Battery Power and asked him his thoughts on how Atlanta should handle Riley and Willis made it clear that he believes the Braves need to take care of business with Riley as soon as possible.
“I think he’s shown that last year wasn’t a fluke, if anybody questioned that. He’s just a complete hitter and I think the Braves need to get him locked as quick as they can honestly," Willis said. "You don’t want to mess around and let him get close to free agency because you never know what’s going to happen. We just saw that play out.”
Willis went on to add that it will be a difficult decision for the Braves as they will also have to address Dansby Swanson, but ultimately he believes Riley is “tremendously important” to the team and getting him a deal would be in their favor. Click the link above to hear the interview in its entirety:
