NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Though the Braves have played just eight games at their new Spring Training home, Austin Riley may have already produced one of the most impressive home runs that will ever be hit at CoolToday Park.

Further intensifying the excitement he has created during the early portion of this Grapefruit League season, Riley drilled a jaw-dropping home run that dented the left-center-field scoreboard during the sixth inning of a 5-2 loss to the Rays on Tuesday afternoon.

“That ball was scorched,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “I really like where he’s at with all the work he has done. With the effort and focus he’s put into it, I think he looks really good.

Riley’s two-run shot off right-hander Aaron Slegers’ two-strike fastball sailed over the left-center-field wall, cleared the visitors' bullpen and a section of seats before landing halfway up the scoreboard. A projected distance was not available, but the Braves said the ball had a 112-mph exit velocity and a 27-degree launch angle.

Per the Statcast research team, of 35 similar batted balls last year (111-113 mph, 26-28 degrees), the average projected distance was 444 feet. There are park- and wind-related factors that could influence the distance of balls hit with similar force and direction. But it’s worth noting that the Braves have hit just 13 homers that have exceeded 444 feet over the past three seasons, and Ronald Acuña Jr. has accounted for nine of those.

“I’m pumped,” Riley said. “If we can just keep riding this out and stick with it, I think it’s going to be a good year.”

As Riley battles Johan Camargo for the third-base job, he certainly appears much more disciplined than he was when he produced a .513 OPS and struck out in 42% of the 119 plate appearances he tallied within last season’s final three months. He looks more like the destructive force he was when he produced a .908 OPS and belted 14 homers (165 at-bats) from his May 15 MLB debut through June 30.

“All spring, I’ve swung at two of what I call trap pitches, which are sliders in the dirt or pitches that start as strikes and move out of the zone,” Riley said. “That’s been very encouraging. You go from last year, when it seemed you were swinging at everything, to now having an approach and confidence.”

Riley’s confidence has been enhanced as he has gone 6-for-19 and struck out just three times thus far. His struggles against the slider last year were well-documented. In fact, last week he said his late-season struggles were influenced by the fact he focused too much on the slider and consequently lost the ability to catch up to fastballs.

As he now finds himself once again focusing on fastballs and reacting to offspeed, Riley has put himself in position to do damage like he did against the Zach Eflin slider he dented off the center-field wall in Monday’s loss to the Phillies. That line-drive double impressed Freddie Freeman and many of the other Braves who have been encouraged by the offseason adjustments made by the young slugger.

“I’m in a good swinging position,” Riley said. “Now I can go into the game and work on that approach and work on counts without worrying about where my hands are and where my load is. It’s good.”