The Atlanta Braves could use a surge at the plate from third baseman Austin Riley in the second half of the 2026 season if the team wants to stave off the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.
Austin Riley has really struggled at the dish this season, and it’s even caused MLB (and Braves franchise) legend Chipper Jones to jump into the conversation to offer his guidance. Riley is being paid a ton of money, and is a 2X MLB All-Star with the Braves.
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Chipper Jones Jumps in to Help with Austin Riley Slump
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 3: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves throws to first against the New York Mets in the sixth inning at Truist Park on July 3, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images)
Austin Riley has performed a little bit better at the plate over the past week or so, but is overall stats still sit at career lows (if they keep pace).
Recently, 19-year Atlanta Braves player Chipper Jones was seen near Austin Riley’s batting practice session, appearing to offer some sort of wisdom or advice.
Recently, Chipper Jones made an appearance on Cellini and Dimino (680 The Score) to discuss Austin Riley. Here is what Chipper had to say:
“He’s big right now. We’ve got to shorten him up with his stride. His head’s moving too much. His balance is off.”
When a hitter is slumping, they will always try to make adjustments. It’s hard to point to a single issue as the ultimate fix, and often has a lot more to do with a player’s mental approach than anything physical.
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Austin Riley This Season
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 5: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with Eli White #36, Austin Riley #27, Dominic Smith #8, and Ozzie Albies #1 after a grand slam against the New York Mets in the ninth inning at Truist Park on July 5, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images)
Austin Riley is not having a great offensive season compared to his career averages.
His bWAR sits at -0.1 over 89 games and 322 at-bats. In that large sample size, Riley is batting .208 with nine home runs, 12 doubles, and an OPS+ of 73.
Riley’s lifetime OPS+ is 117, and he’s a career .265 batter with a proven ability to record 60+ XBH in a season. However, at this rate, it looks like Riley will fall well short of that mark.
Maybe Chipper Jones is right, Riley should shorten his stance, and get his balance where it needs to be.
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