Braves' Austin Riley: Claims International League award
Riley was named the International League's Player of the Week on Monday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. Over Triple-A Gwinnett's seven games, Riley collected four home runs and eight RBI.
Riley's 1.184 OPS for the week was only marginally better than his 1.047 mark for 2019, illustrating his utter dominance in his return to Triple-A this season. In addition to his ridiculous power production, Riley has trimmed his strikeout rate from 29.3 percent in 2018 to 19.7 percent this season. Riley seems to have little left to prove offensively in the minors, so at this point, an eventual call to the big leagues might come down to his ability to capably handle left field. A corner infielder for much of his career, Riley has made four of his last five starts in the outfield as the Braves presumably assess his viability as a utility bat.
