929 The Game Braves insider Joe Patrick joined Dukes & Bell to talk about opening day which is less than a week away and can Austin Riley hit thirty homers this season?
Patrick talked about the only thing that could hold Riley back from a 30 home run season.
“It’s absolutely a big year for Austin Riley and I think if you were to ask Austin Riley he would tell you the same exact thing, he knows it’s a big year for him in terms of the trajectory his career is going to take.” Patrick said “I couldn’t be more optimistic about his prospects this year, Austin Riley did hit two mammoth homeruns the other day, both on sliders which is always been the knock on him that he chases the sliders out of the zone, I think that his approach at the plate has really come along over these last couple of years.”
“Last year was really unfortunate for him, he was dealing with a quad injury which he acknowledged this spring really kinda was holding him back. If he can stay healthy, which I think could be the biggest issue with a guy like him, just because he’s bigger and it’s harder for those guys to stay healthy during these long hot Atlanta summers, but if he can I think he can be a guy who hits thirty home runs this year.”
