He and his wife, Anna, reside in Mississippi with their son, Eason...At DeSoto Central High School in Southaven, Miss., was a pitcher and shortstop...ln his senior year, helped the Jaguars win the MHSAA 6A State Championship after hitting .423 with 11homers and 31 RBI at the plate and going 7-2 with a 2.70 ERA and 82 strikeouts on the mound...As a pitcher, he topped out at 94 mph with his fastball...Also threw a curveball...Forewent his college commitment to Mississippi State to sign with the Braves...Ranked 61st nationally in the final 2015 Perfect Game class rankings...Played in the 2014 Perfect Game All-American Classic and 2014 Perfect Game National Showcase...Selected by the Atlanta Braves in the Competitive Balance A round (41st overall) of the 2015 First Year Player Draft...Signed by Don Thomas...On Atlanta's injured list (right knee sprain) from Aug. 5-Sept. 6, 2019; included rehabilitation assignments with Rome (A) and Gwinnett (AAA)...On Aug. 1, 2022, agreed to a 10-year contract worth $212 million through the 2032 season, with a club option for 2033.
2023
Awards: National League All-Star, NL Silver Slugger Award (3B), All-MLB First Team (3B), NL Player of the Week (7/23)...Finished seventh in NL MVP voting...NL Gold Glove Finalist (3B)...MLB Ranks: Multi-hit games (third, 56), total bases (fifth, 328), runs (seventh, 117), hits (T-6th, 179), extra-base hits (ninth, 72), hard-hit balls (10th, 233), home runs (T-10th, 37)...NL Ranks: Slugging percentage (eighth, .516)...26-year-old Austin Riley completed his fifth Major league season (all with Atlanta), posting a slash line of .281/.345/.516 (179-for-636) in 159 games...He hit 37 home runs, 32 doubles and three triples, while recording 97 RBI and 117 runs...Established career-highs in runs, triples, stolen bases (three), walks (59) and total bases (328)...Led all qualified third basemen in home runs (37), hits (179), runs (117), extra-base hits (72), total bases (328) and OPS (.861); ranked second in batting average (.281) and slugging percentage (.516); fifth in on-base percentage (.345); tied for fifth in RBI (97)...Hit 37 home runs; one shy of his career-high, set in 2022...Of his 37 longballs, hit 13 in the first inning; matching Hall-of-Famer Henry Aaron (1971) for the most by a Brave, within a single-season, in franchise history...Ranked second in the majors, behind teammate Matt Olson (37) with 34 first inning RBI...The next closest player, Juan Soto, then of San Diego, had 26...He's one of five players with at least 35 home runs in each of the last two seasons, along with New York's (NL) Pete Alonso, three straight, New York's (AL) Aaron Judge, three straight, Los Angeles' (NL) Mookie Betts and Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber...In the Atlanta-era (since 1966), he's the fifth Brave, seventh instance, to do so, and the first since Andruw Jones (2005-06)...He's also the first Brave with at least 30 home runs in three consecutive seasons since Andruw Jones, four straight (2000-03)...Made his fourth career Opening Day roster (all with Atlanta)...Has started at third base in Atlanta's season opener in each of the last four seasons (2020-23)...lt's the longest streak by a Braves third baseman since Hall of Famer Chipper Jones made seven consecutive Opening Day starts at third base from 2005-11...He's the only player in the majors with at least 30 home runs and at least 30 doubles, in each of the last three seasons...In the Atlanta-era (since 1966), he's the second Brave to accomplish the feat, alongside Chipper Jones (1999-2001)...Paired with Matt Olson to hit seven back-to-back home runs (regardless of order), establishing a Braves single-season franchise record in that regard...Became the first duo with as many as seven back-to-back home runs, within a single-season, since San Francisco's Barry Bonds and Rich Aurilia in 2001...Riley and Olson are the first teammates in MLB history to hit back-to-back home runs in six consecutive months, within a single-season (twice in July)...In August, they became the first duo to accomplish the feat in five straight months...Over the last two seasons, he's compiled 106 multi-hit games; third-most in MLB over that span, trailing Los Angeles' (NL) Freddie Freeman (119) and Toronto's Bo Bichette (108)...Riley and Freeman are the only two players with at least 50 such efforts, in each of the last two seasons...Hit his 100th career home run (solo), April 14 at Kansas City, off RHP Brady Singer...ln the Atlanta-era (since 1966), the only players to have reached the 100-homer mark in fewer games than Riley's 464 are Ronald Acuna Jr. (378) and Bob Horner (390)...Recorded his 300th career RBI, May 25 vs. Philadelphia...Became the fourth player in Braves franchise history to eclipse 500 hits, 100 home runs and 300 RBI in 500 games or fewer - doing so in his 500th career game, joining, Hall of Famer Fred McGriff (412), Bob Horner (429) and Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews (456)...Named a reserve for the National League in the 2023 All-Star Game, July 11at Seattle's T-Mobile Park; his second career selection...He's one of four third basemen in franchise history with multiple All-Star nods, alongside Hall-of-Famers Eddie Mathews, nine times and Chipper Jones, eight times, as well as Bob Elliott, three times...Established a career high with seven RBI, July 18 vs. Arizona; most by a Braves third baseman, within a single game, since RBI became official in 1920...Braves third baseman had driven in six runs eight previous times, most recently by Riley in June of 2021...Hall-of-Famer Eddie Mathews, four times, is the only other Braves third baseman with multiple such games...Totaled four home runs and 11 RBI in a three game series vs. Arizona, July 18-20...Became the sixth player in team history to reach those marks over any three-game stretch and the second to do so in a three game series, joining Bobby Thompson (May 30-31, 1956 at Chicago (NL)...Each of his six hits in the series went for extra bases: four home runs, double, triple...Went deep in five straight games (six total home runs) from July 18-22; tied for the longest such streak in Braves franchise history...Also tied for the longest such streak league-wide, during the 2023 season, with Philadelphia's Trea Turner...Totaled 16 RBI, matching Ron Gant (1993) and Freddie Freeman (2020) for the most by a Brave, over any five-game span, since 1920...Named the National League Player of the Week for the period ending July 23 (10-for-25, .400); the third such honor of his career...Paced the majors with six home runs and 16 RBI...Became the first player in franchise history to tally those marks over a five-game span, since RBI became official in 1920...Turned in five straight multi-hit efforts from Aug. 28 - Sept. 1; the longest such streak of his career...Slashed .400/.423/.720 (10-for-25) with two home runs and two doubles...Received two fifth-place, three sixth-place, four seventh-place, five eighth-place, three ninth place and four 10th-place votes in the National League MVP voting; finishing seventh.
POSTSEASON: Hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the eighth inning of NLDS Game 2, off Philadelphia's RHP Jeff Hoffman...Marked the 12th go-ahead home run in the eighth inning-or-later in Braves postseason history; the second by Riley, also: 2020 NLCS Game 1 at Los Angeles (NL)...Prior to Riley in 2023, Michael Tucker (1998 NLCS Game 5 at San Diego) and Eric Hinske (2010 NLDS Game 3 vs. San Francisco) were the only instances, under the same criteria, in which the team was trailing...Hit a solo home run in NLDS Game 4 at Citizen's Bank Park, off Philadelphia's LHP Ranger Suarez; the fifth of his postseason career...Hit safely in all four games (.353, 6-for- 17); including a pair of multi-hit efforts (Games 3-4)...Paced the club in hits (six), home runs (two) and RBI (five).
2022
Awards: National League All-Star, N.L. Player of the Month (July), N.L. Player of the Week (7/10)...MLB Ranks: Total Bases (second, 325), Extra-Base Hits (second, 79), Home Runs (fifth, 38), Slugging Percentage (eighth, .528), OPS (ninth, .877)...NL Ranks: Extra-Base Hits (first, 79), Total Bases (first, 325), Home Runs (third, 38), Slugging Percentage (fifth, .528), OPS (fifth, 877), Hits (8th, 168), Doubles (T8th, 39)...25-year-old Austin Riley finished his four Major League season...He finished with a .273 batting average (168-for-615), 38 home runs, 93 RBI and 90 runs...Selected to his first All-Star Game...On Aug. 1 agreed to a 10-year contract worth $212 million through the 2032 season, with a club option for 2033...Recorded multiple hits in 50 games, tied for third in the N.L. and seventh in MLB...In 2021 and 2022 combined, his 102 multi-hit games are tied for fourth in MLB...Finished the season with 38 home runs and 39 doubles, the only player in MLB with at least 36 of each...One of only 10 players that made it to the 30/30 mark...Belted a career-high 38 home runs, beating the 33 he hit in 2021...Was one of five players to hit at least 38 home runs this season...Since the club moved to Atlanta in 1966, only five other infielders have hit at least 38 home runs in a season: Freddie Freeman (38, 2019), Chipper Jones (45, 1999; 38, 2001), Andres Galarraga (41, 1998), Darrell Evans (41, 1973) and Dave Johnson (43, 1973)...Jones and Evans are the only other primary Atlanta third basemen to hit 38 home runs since 1966...On Aug. 2 was named the July National League Player of the Month...His 26 extra-base hits in July set a new franchise record for most in a month... Henry Aaron held the previous record, hitting 25 in July 1961...His 26 extra-base hits in July were the most in MLB, while his 11 home runs finished second...No other MLB player had more than 18 extra-base hits in July...Richard Hidalgo (HOU, 27) was the last player, league-wide, to reach 26 extra-base hits in a month, doing so in September 2000...Had 26 extra-base hits in 26 games (11 HR, 15 2B) from June 30-July 31...He’s the only player in modern-era Braves history to have than many in that span...Hall-of-Famer Rogers Hornsby held the old record, hitting 25 in a 26-game span in 1928...Hit 11 home runs with a .423 batting average in July...Became the second Brave in franchise history to finish a month with at least 10 home runs and a .400 batting average...Chipper Jones did it in July 1999 (11 HR, .412 BA)…Ryan Zimmerman (WSH, .420/11 HR) was the last MLB player to do it...His 11 home runs in July were the most he’s had in a single month in his career...Had 16 multi-hit games in July, the third most by a Brave within a single month in the Atlanta era...Felipe Alou (August 1968) and Ralph Garr (May 1974) each share the record with 17 multi-hit games in a single month...Riley became the first major leaguer with 16 multi-hit games in a month since José Altuve had 16 for Houston in July 2017...On Aug. 9, tied Henry Aaron’s franchise record (1959) as the fastest player to reach 30 home runs and 30 doubles in a season...They each did it in 111 games...Had an 18-game hit streak that snapped on July 27... It was the longest active streak in MLB, the longest by a Brave in 2022 and the longest of career...It was the longest hitting streak by a Brave since Freddie Freeman (18 games) from August-September, 2020...In his first 40 games of the season, hit .224/.309/.436 with eight home runs, 17 extra-base hits and 18 RBI...In the 119 games following, dating to May 23, hit .290/.363/.560 with 30 home runs, 62 extra-base hits and 75 RBI.
2021
Twenty-four-year-old Austin Riley finished his third major league campaign...He finished with a .303 batting average (179-for-590), 33 home runs, 107 RBI and 91 runs...Awards: Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger (3B), All-MLB Team (3B)...NL Ranks: Total Bases (313, 2nd), RBI (107, 2nd), Hits (179, 3rd), Batting Average (.303, 6th), Home Runs (33, 10th)...He finished third in the National League with 52 multi-hit games...Toronto’s Bo Bichette (56) was the only other player in baseball, 24-or-younger, with more multi-hit games this season...Ozzie Albies was the last 24-or-younger Brave to do it with 55 multi-hit games in 2019...After the All-Star break, led all of baseball with 94 hits...In those 72 games (71 starts), also had 65 RBI (3rd in MLB), a .333 batting average (7th), a .599 slugging percentage (7th), 37 extra-base hits (T8th) and 19 home runs (11th)...94 post-All-Star Game hits are the most by a Brave since Ender Inciarte had 100 hits after the break in 2016...The last Atlanta infielder with more was Chipper Jones (95) in 2001...Became one of 13 players, 24-or-younger, in the Atlanta era of the Braves (since 1966) to finish a season with a .300-or-higher batting average (min. 300 plate appearances)...Freddie Freeman was the last Atlanta hitter to do it when he posted a .319 clip as a 23-year-old in 2013...On September 25 arrived at the 100-RBI mark, the first time in his career he’s done so...Three Braves crossed that threshold in 2021 (also Adam Duvall, 113; Ozzie Albies, 106)...On Sept. 21, became the 10th Brave 24-or younger to hit 30 home runs in a season (last: Acuña, 2019)...Finished the 2021 campaign with 33 home runs and 33 doubles, becoming the first Braves third baseman with a 30/30 season aged 24-or younger since Chipper Jones in 1996...There are just three such seasons in franchise history (Jones, 1996; Eddie Mathews, 1953)...Named the National League Player of the Week for the period of May 17-23...In seven games, went 12-for-26 with four doubles, six home runs and 11 RBI...He is the only player in modern Braves franchise history to hit six homers and 10 extra-base hits in any seven-game span...Went 2-for-5 with two homers and a career-most six RBI, July 27 at New York (NL)...He became the first Braves third baseman with two homers and six RBI in a game since Earl Williams on June 13, 1971...Tabbed as the third baseman on MLB’s August Team of the Month...He hit safely in 23 of 26 August games, trailing only Chicago-AL’s José Abreu (24 total games)...On Sept. 20, became only Brave this season to log three doubles in a game, and first since Dansby Swanson did it Aug. 23, 2020, vs. Philadelphia...At the time, it had happened 28 times in Major League Baseball this season...Reached base five times in a game on three different occasions during the regular season, last June 13 at Miami...Did not do so once over his first two seasons.
2021 POSTSEASON: Hit .320 (8-for-25) in the World Series with three RBI and a run...Hit two home runs in the 2021 postseason – one off Milwaukee's Brandon Woodruff and the other off Los Angeles' (NL) Tony Gonsolin...Went 3-for-4 in World Series Game 5...Since Andruw Jones went 3-for-4 on 10/10/2001, only three other Braves of equal age or younger than Riley have booked a three-hit game in the postseason (Ronald Acuña Jr., 2019-20; Ozzie Albies, 2020; Freddie Freeman, 2012)...His fourth-inning home run in NLCS Game 1 marked the third straight playoff series he has homered in, dating to the 2020 NLCS...David Justice set the franchise record with home runs in four straight postseason series covering the 1991 NLCS and World Series and the 1992 NLCS and World Series... Javy López and Fred McGriff have since tied Justice.
2020
In his second major-league season, played in 51 games and hit .239/.301/.415 (45-for-188) with seven doubles, eight home runs, 27 RBI and 24 runs scored...Started all 51 games, 45 of which were at third base…Also made starts in left field (4) and first base (2)...Hit eight home runs, reaching the 20-homer and 25-homer milestones of his career...Hit his 20th home run on 8/4 off Toronto's Matt Shoemaker, and hit his 25th career homer in Game 2 of a doubleheader on 9/4 vs. Washington, off Will Crowe...For both milestones, was the fourth quickest player by games played in franchise history to reach that total, trailing Wally Berger, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Bob Horner...His eight home runs traveled an average of a projected 424 feet, the third farthest in the majors, trailing Marcell Ozuna (429 ft.) and Seattle's Ty France (425 ft.)...France hit just four home runs...Two of his homers went over 450 feet... One was 471 feet, off the Nationals' Will Crowe on 9/4[2], the third longest by a Braves player in 2020...The other, off the Mets’ Corey Oswalt on 7/26, went 458 feet and caromed off Citi's Field third deck...Only one of Riley’s homers came on a fastball... Hit .281/.328/.632 (16-for-57) off breaking pitches (sliders and curves)...In 2019, his rookie season, hit .195 against these pitches and struck out in 38 of his 86 plate appearances (41.9%)...Over half (15) of his 27 RBI came with two outs...In those situations, had a .446 slugging percentage (2 2B, 4 HR)...Struck out in just 23.8% of his plate appearances, better than the 36.4% strikeout rate he had in 2019...His 32.4% chase rate and 30.1% whiff rate were both considerably lower than the totals he had in 2019 (37.7% chase rate and 38.7% whiff rate)... Scored a single-game career-high five runs on 9/9 against the Marlins…Reached base safely four times (2 H, 2 BB)...Is one of just six Atlanta-era players (since 1966) to score that many runs in a game, joining Adam Duvall and Dansby Swanson, who also did so in that game...Chipper Jones, twice, Kenny Lofton and Lonnie Smith are the others...On 8/30 at Philadelphia, hit a double and a home run in a 10-run second inning...Became the first Braves player with multiple extra-base hits in a single inning since Jeff Blauser on 6/22/97, also at Philadelphia...His only triple of the season, and second of his career, broke a 2-2 tie and drove in three on 8/31 at Boston...It was Atlanta’s first bases-loaded triple since Mallex Smith cleared the bags on 5/30/16 vs. the Giants.
POSTSEASON
Started all 12 of Atlanta’s playoff games, and hit .178/.245/.244 (8-for-45) with one home run, four RBI and four runs scored...Started 10 games at third base and two in left field...Did not make the Braves postseason roster in 2019...His first career postseason homer broke a tie in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the NLCS, an eventual 5-1 Atlanta win...At 23 years, 193 days old, became the fourth youngest player with a go-ahead homer in the ninth inning or later of a postseason game, joining PHI’s Jimmie Foxx (Game 5, ‘30 WS), StL’s Tim McCarver (Game 5, ’64 WS) and ATL’s Chipper Jones (Game 1, ’95 DS)...Hitting from the No. 9 spot, became the fifth player in postseason history to hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth inning from that spot in the batting order, joining NYM’s Lenny Dykstra (Game 3, ‘86 LCS), LAD’s Kirk Gibson (Game 1, ’88 WS), TOR’s Ed Sprague (Game 2, ’92 WS) and NYY’s Alfonso Soriano (Game 4, ’01 LCS)...It was the sixth homer in franchise history that gave the Braves a lead in the ninth inning or later of a postseason game, joining Eddie Mathews (Game 4, ’57 WS), Chipper Jones (Game 1, ’95 DS), Javy López (Game 1, ‘96 DS), Rafael Furcal (Game 2, ’04 DS) and Rick Ankiel (Game 2, ’10 DS)...2B Ozzie Albies would later hit a two-run homer to cap the four-run frame…Riley and Albies (23 years, 279 days) are the first pair of teammates age 23 or younger to hit a home run in the same inning in postseason history.
2019
Entered the season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 1 prospect in Atlanta's organization… Began the campaign with Triple-A Gwinnett… Called up to Atlanta in the middle of May and spent the rest of the season with the Braves... In his 80 games with Atlanta, slashed .262/.338/.646 (17-for-65) against lefthanders…Hit seven home runs in 74 plate appearances against them, nearly half of his season total, despite getting nearly four times the amount of plate appearances against righties…Also drew eight walks against lefties, the same amount he had versus right-handers... The Braves selected his contract on 5/15 after placing OF Ender Inciarte on the injured list with a lumbar strain…Homered in his second career plate appearance, off St. Louis' Michael Wacha, becoming the eighth player in the Atlanta era (since 1966) to homer in his MLB debut…Previous to Riley was Evan Gattis on 4/3/13 against Philadelphia, off Hall-of-Famer Roy Halladay... Named the N.L. Rookie of the Month in May, despite spending the first half of the month in the minors...Batted .356/.397/.746 (21-for-59) with seven home runs and 20 RBI in 15 games…Is the only Braves player in history to hit seven homers and drive in 20 in his first 15 career games... Became the fastest Braves player in the modern era to five career home runs, doing so in his ninth career game…At the time, only eight other major leaguers had hit at least five homers in their first nine games…COL's Trevor Story was the last with seven in 2016…The only other 22-year-old to accomplish the feat was TOR's Carlos Delgado (1993-94)... His seventh home run was a grand slam on 5/29 off Washington's Kyle McGowin, in his 14th career game…He became the second player in Atlanta franchise history to hit a grand slam in his first 14 career games, joining Marcus Giles, who accomplished the feat in 2005. Hit his 10th career home run on 6/12, the 26th game of his career...He is the quickest to doubledigit home runs, by games played, in the modern era (since 1900) of franchise history…Wally Berger held the old record, hitting his 10th home run in his 29th game in 1930... Recorded his 25th career RBI in the 18th game of his career...Since RBI became an official statistic in 1920, Riley was the second fastest player to 25 RBI, by games played, in major league history… Only the Cubs' Mandy Brooks in 1925 reached the mark quicker, recording his 25th RBI in his 17th career game... In 49 games before the All-Star break, posted an .873 OPS (.312 OBP, .561 SLG) with 16 home runs, tying Ryan Klesko (1994) for the most homers by a Braves rookie prior to the break…Also had 41 RBI in that time... After the All-Star break, had a .486 OPS (.211 OBP, .276 SLG) with two home runs in 31 games…Struck out in 39 of his 95 plate appearances (41.1 percent)... Went to the injured list on 8/5 with a right knee sprain and missed 28 games…Had rehab assignments with Single-A Rome and Triple-A Gwinnett before being activated on 9/6... Upon activation, played in 14 games to finish the season and went 5-for-38 (.132) with one home run and four RBI... Opened the season in Triple-A and hit .299/.377/.681 (43-for-144) in 37 games… At the time of his selection, was leading the International League in home runs (15), RBI (39), extra-base hits (25), total bases (98) and runs (32)…He ranked second in slugging (.681) and third in OPS (1.057)…Had 13 home runs over his last 18 games, including three multi-homer efforts... Named the International League Player of the Week for the period of 5/6-12 after batting .296 (8-for-27) with four home runs, eight RBI and walking (5) as many times as he struck out (5).
2017
Split the season between High-A Florida and Double-A Mississippi, combining to bat .275 (133-for-484) with 71 runs, 41 extra-base hits and 74 RBI over 129 games between the two clubs...Opened the year with Florida and ranked by Baseball America as Atlanta's No. 11 prospect... Transferred to Mississippi on 7/13...Ended the season ranked in the Top 10 among Atlanta farmhands in hits (2nd, 133), home runs (3rd, 20), RBI (3rd, 74), walks (T9th, 43), slugging percentage (T7th, 446) and OPS (8th, 786)...Over the last two seasons, leads Atlanta prospects in RBI (154) and homers (40)...Following his promotion to Mississippi, batted .315/.389/.511 over 48 games...Ranked second in the Southern League in hits (56), tied for fifth in homers (8), and ranked eighth in RBI (27) from 7/13 through the end of the season...Hit 17 of his 20 home runs off right-handed pitchers...Named a Florida State League Mid-Season All- Star...Earned FSL Player of the Week honors for the period of 5/1-7 after batting .462/.483/.846 with three home runs and 10 RBI over seven games...Appeared in 17 games with the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League following the season, and batted .300/.364/.657 with 12 extra-base hits and 18 RBI...Was named to both the AFL Fall-Stars Game and to the Top Prospects Team following the fall season...Hit for the cycle on 10/26 with Peoria, going 4-for-6 with three runs and five RBI against Mesa...Logged the first cycle in the Arizona Fall League since 2008.
2016
Played his first full professional season with Single-A Rome and batted .271 (134-for-495) with 68 runs, 61 extra-base hits and 80 RBI in 129 games to earn Rome's Player of the Year honors from the organization...Ended the season pacing all Atlanta farmhands in home runs (20), doubles (39) and total bases (237), while sitting in the Top 10 in RBI (2nd, 80), slugging percentage (3rd, .479), OPS (3rd, .803), runs (T3rd, 68) and hits (4th, 134)...Finished second in the South Atlantic League in home runs and doubles, and third in RBI...Opened his sophomore campaign batting just .229 (38-for-166) with a .280 OBP and .367 slugging percentage in his first 43 games before hitting .292/.346/.535 over his final 86 contests...Fourteen of his 20 homers on the season came in his final 45 games, during which he stroked 15 doubles and slugged .632 with 43 RBI...Closed his season on a 19-game hitting streak, batting .361 (26-for-72) with 13 extra-base hits and 20 RBI from 8/16-9/5...Batted .315 (23-for-73) against left-handed pitching, compared to a .263 (111-for-422) mark against righties. Drove home eight runners in seven postseason games, going 6-for-26 (.231) with four runs, two doubles, two homers and three walks as Rome won the South Atlantic League Championship...Posted 36 multi-hit games, including eight three- hit efforts...Fell a triple short of the cycle on 8/11 at Hickory, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one double, a homer and three RBI...Tabbed by Baseball America as Atlanta's No. 8 prospect entering 2016, as well as the "Best Power Hitter" in the system.
2015
Split his first professional season between the GCL Braves and rookie-level Danville after being selected by Atlanta with the 41st overall pick in the 2015 First-Year Player Draft...Was named the Danville Braves Player of the Year by the organization after batting .351 (39-for-111) with five home runs and 19 RBI in 30 games with the club, and he combined to bat .304 (66-for- 217) with 12 home runs and 40 RBI in 60 games between the two stops...Led the GCL Braves with seven home runs at the time of his move to Danville, where he proceeded to lead Danville with five homers in 111 at-bats...Paced all Atlanta farmhands with a .933 OPS, while 12 home runs on the season were tied for second-most in the system, despite playing in just 60 games...Also finished in the Top 10 among Braves prospects in average (T6th, .304)...Opened his professional career batting .077 (2- for-26) with 12 strikeouts in his first eight games, before hitting .335 (64-for-191) in his remaining 52 contests on the season...He was named by Baseball America as the "Best Pure Hitter," "Best Power Hitter," "Best Athlete" and as having the "Best Pro Debut" among the Braves 2015 draft class...Also named by the publication as the second-best prospect in the Appalachian League, as well as the 10th-best prospect in the Gulf Coast League at the season's conclusion.
