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Austin Riley 2023 MLB Player Outlook: Premium Player Worth the Premium Price
2 years agoAtlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley followed up his outstanding 2021 campaign (.303-33-107) in 2022, slashing .273/.349/.528 with 38 homers as a centerpiece of the team's offense. He will provide elite power, which is great for fantasy managers, especially since it appears we can count on Riley to perform similarly moving forward. The 25-year-old was never maintaining his .368 BABIP from 2021, but his .315 BABIP last year is a possibility and puts his average solidly in the .270-.280 range. Riley's plate discipline also improved slightly last year, with an uptick in BB% (7.9 to 8.2) and a decline in K% (25.4 to 24.2). His HR/FB essentially repeated (21.8% in 2022, 20.9% in 2021) and was backed by great Statcast power indicators. Riley's 97.7 mph average airborne exit velocity ranked eighth among qualified hitters last year, while his 15.7% rate of Brls/BBE ranked 10th. As such, 30+ homers should be expected in 2023. Hitting third for the Braves should also give Riley plenty of counting stat opportunities, making the 26-year-old third baseman well worth his ADP of 23.17.
