Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley is not easing into Spring Training. He is setting the bar high.

After two seasons disrupted by injuries, Riley enters camp determined to return to the elite production that placed him in rare franchise company just two years ago.

“If I don’t hit 30-plus homers and drive in 90-100 runs, I kind of feel like it’s a wash of a season,” Riley said. “That’s what they’re paying me to do and those are my goals. So, I expect it every year. I expect it every year for however many years I have left on my contract.” (Quote: Via MLB.com’s Mark Bowman)

Back to Elite Company

Riley signed a franchise-record 10-year, $212 million contract on Aug. 1, 2022. In 2023, his first full season under that deal, he joined Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews and Andruw Jones as the only Braves to record three 30-homer, 90-RBI seasons at age 26 or younger.

That trajectory stalled when injuries intervened. An oblique strain hampered him early in 2024 before a fractured right hand ended his season in August. Last year, an abdominal strain that surfaced before the All-Star break ultimately required season-ending sports hernia surgery.

Fresh Start, Renewed Energy

Now fully healthy after an unrestricted offseason, Riley arrives at camp energized. He showcased that confidence Monday, launching three consecutive opposite-field home runs during batting practice.

“I know things happen,” Riley said. “But to be where I am mentally and to be where I feel physically, plus with the changes we’ve made this offseason, this is the most excited I’ve been as far as where I am at the start of Spring Training.”

For Atlanta, a healthy Riley could dramatically reshape the lineup’s ceiling. For Riley, anything short of 30 home runs and 90-plus RBIs is not acceptable.

If his body cooperates, the Braves slugger appears ready to reclaim his place among baseball’s premier power hitters.