This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman's Braves Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. This edition was written by Bill Ladson.
In a recent interview with MLB.com at Yankee Stadium, Braves 29-year-old third baseman Austin Riley answered a wide range of topics from his struggles at the plate to the comparisons between the 2021 Braves, who won the World Series, to the 2026 Braves, one of the best teams in the Major Leagues.
Since July 31, your bat is coming back to life. You are 10-for-30 (.333) with two homers and seven RBIs. What has been working for you at the plate?
Austin Riley: I’m getting into my lower half a little bit better. I’ve raised my hands a little bit. I wasn’t using my back hip the right way. Now, I’ve found [ways] to fix that problem.
Who has helped you to get out of your season-long slump?
Riley: [Hitting coach] Tim Hyers and [assistant hitting coach] Darnell Coles have been unbelievable for me. I put a lot of stress on them and they have been in my corner since Day 1. They have been unbelievable to work with.
Your manager, Walt Weiss, has stuck with you. He never benched you.
Riley: I’ve been with Walt since I was called up in 2019. He was the bench coach when I was called up. It’s the trust factor he has in me. He knows what I'm capable of. He knows I’m going to work my butt off every single day to try and get it going. That means a lot. We’ve had numerous conversations about how things have gone. I have a lot of respect for him.
What is the biggest advice he has given you throughout the season?
Riley: The biggest thing he has told me is, stop chasing “old fields” [or stop looking into the past] when I was going well in 2021, ‘22 and ‘23. My body has changed [since then]. I’ve had some surgery on my lower half. I had a hand injury. He said it’s a slippery slope chasing the past. You have to trust what your eyes see and know your swing better than anybody. It resonated with me. I try not to look into the past.
I have a ton of notes from ‘21, ‘22 and ‘23. They were really good. I was trying [to practice what I wrote] in the cage and they were not working. I was 25, 26, 27 years old at that point. I’m almost 30. My body has changed with several surgeries. It’s learning my body.
One positive thing is that you have stayed healthy this year. What did you do to make sure that ‘26 was going to be different?
Riley: Obviously, we focused on my core and my lower abdomen, because that’s where the injury was. I played multiple seasons where I played pretty much every game. I know what it takes to do that. I’m not getting any younger, so it’s like fine-tuning my offseason program, my in-season training to allow me to go out there every day.
What is the biggest thing you have done as far as exercises are concerned?
Riley: My strength is there. I don’t need to get any stronger. I’m not trying to set records on the squat racks. For me, as I get older, it’s about mobility and flexibility – working on foot speed and trying to stay quick.
Talk about your family. How much have they helped you throughout this season?
Riley: A ton. My wife [Anna] has been a huge supporter. Obviously things haven’t gone well this year on the field, but she reminds me, “You are an unbelievable dad. You are a great husband. No matter what happens on the field, we are going to be there for you.”
My parents are great. I talk to my dad and mother every day. He was my hitting coach, [he's] still my hitting coach. They continue to show support. They say, "it’s in there." It’s a lot of motivation and confidence boosting.
Before we talk about the Braves, I couldn’t help but notice that you saw Yankees left-hander Max Fried in the Braves' clubhouse. How good was it to see him?
Riley: I’ve been with Max since Day 1 when I got drafted – going through the Minor League system with him and winning a World Series with him in 2021. The friendships in this game last forever. He is a good one for sure. … We won the Sally League [South Atlantic League] together. We’ve won a lot together. Those types of teammates you appreciate. He is a great human being, a great person. I wish I didn’t face him [on Friday], because he was really good.
The Braves are having a great season in ‘26. How would you compare this season to ‘21?
Riley: If you remember, the ‘21 team didn’t get above .500 until August. The current team is in a good spot. This game is crazy. It’s tough to say. In ‘21, we were not the best. That’s the beauty of this game. We got hot at the right time. We got a few trade pieces at the Trade Deadline and went on an incredible run. You look at ‘23, we had a historic offense and we got put out in the playoffs. It’s hard to win a division and make a postseason run. We put ourselves in a good spot right now. Comparing the two teams is a little tough. We have to continue to put one foot in front of the other, try to play good baseball and try to get everybody healthy for the postseason.
Besides winning another World Series, what do you want to accomplish?
Riley: I would love to win a Gold Glove. I try to work really hard on defense. I feel like I've come a long way. I was really bad back in the day. In 2016, [while playing for Class A Rome], I had 30 errors. I told Matt Olson that story and he looked at me funny. I worked with Ron Washington and Tony Mansolino. They have been unbelievable and great to work with when it comes to my defense. That would be really cool to get a Gold Glove.