Let’s start with this premise: Austin Riley is good at the game of baseball. Selected by the Braves with the 41st pick in the 2015 draft out of DeSoto Central High School in Mississippi, Riley has been heralded for his talents for years now. Coming into the 2019 season, Riley was ranked as the No. 43 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline. He was ranked even more highly by Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, and Fangraphs. And yet, Riley has managed to crush these lofty expectations like a fastball down the middle so far in 2019.
Just how good has Austin Riley been?
