Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley is in the midst of yet another brilliant season with the team. He enters this week’s action hitting .301 with 29 homers, 68 RBI and a .964 OPS.
Still only 25 years old, the first-time All-Star will now get paid like it. Atlanta announced on Monday that Riley has agreed to a 10-year contract worth $212 million. Said deal keeps him in a Braves uniform through at least the 2032 season with a team option for 2033.
The defending champs now keep one of their core young pieces together as Atlanta looks to remain relevant on the broader MLB stage for the long run.
On the other hand, Riley takes that $212 million in his first season of arbitration rather than letting this play out and risking injury for a larger pay day moving forward.
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Austin Riley contract and impact on the Atlanta Braves
A first-round pick of the Braves back in 2015, Riley made his Major League debut in 2019. After struggling from the plate through his first two seasons, including the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, he’s picked it up big time.
Austin Riley stats (2021-22): .302 average, 62 HR, 175 RBI, .924 OPS
More recently, Riley has been on absolute fire. The Tennessee native is hitting .432 with nine homers and 20 RBI while boasting a 1.349 OPS over the past 22 games. That’s just insane.
Riley’s $212 million contract now makes him the 16th highest-paid player in MLB from a total value perspective. Though, he continues to lag behind on a per-year basis. This represents a win-win for both sides.
Austin Riley gets his guaranteed cash and the Braves lock up a cornerstone on a rather cheap annual salary.