Austin Riley Isn’t Living Up to His Contract—And the Braves Need More From Him
Since becoming the highest-paid player in Atlanta Braves history, Austin Riley hasn’t delivered the performance the team hoped for.
Back on August 1, 2022, the Braves committed to Riley with a massive 10-year, $212 million deal, locking him in during what was, at the time, the best season of his career. That year, he posted a stellar 141 OPS+, powered by 38 home runs and 39 doubles—both career highs—and finished sixth in MVP voting.
It looked like Atlanta had secured its next franchise cornerstone. The 2023 season only strengthened that belief. Although his numbers dipped slightly, Riley still crushed 37 home runs and 32 doubles, finished with a 130 OPS+, and placed in the top seven for MVP voting again.
For a time, Riley seemed like a sure bet to consistently hit 35+ homers, 30+ doubles, drive in 90+ runs, contribute over 6.0 WAR, and regularly rank among the league’s top ten players. At least, that was the expectation.
But 2024 didn’t go as planned. His season was shortened by injuries, and when he was on the field, he posted career-low numbers in batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS+ since becoming a full-time starter. Many thought these struggles were simply part of a broader collapse during the Braves’ miserable 2024 season.
Unfortunately, that downturn has continued into 2025. While Riley’s OPS+ sits at 116 through the first 56 games—still above league average—it’s far below what you’d want from the face of your franchise and highest-paid player.
He’s accumulated just 1.2 bWAR so far, putting him on pace for roughly half of what he produced in each of his strong seasons from 2021 to 2023.
Even more concerning is how he’s performed in clutch moments. In “high-leverage” situations, as classified by Baseball Reference, Riley has managed a weak .629 OPS. That’s 19% below league average and 38% lower than his overall season mark—an alarming stat for a player expected to thrive under pressure.
To be clear, Riley isn’t the only one underperforming. There’s plenty of blame to go around. General manager Alex Anthopoulos, manager Brian Snitker, and other stars like Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies have all fallen short of expectations.
But it’s different when you’re the highest-paid player in team history. The bar is higher. The expectations are greater.
Riley doesn’t get to be held to the same standard as everyone else—not with that contract. And to his credit, he likely knows that better than anyone.
He has to be better. The Braves need him to be better. And there’s still time to turn things around.
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