Soft-spoken Austin Riley makes a loud noise with his hitting — as the young Atlanta Braves arrive among baseball’s elite. In the vernacular of minor league baseball, Atlanta Braves prospect Austin Riley was “blocked” by veterans at his positions of third base and the outfield at the start of the 2019 season. Well, nobody blocks a big bat from a big league lineup. The scouts have a saying: “You can shake a prospect tree and nine gloves and one bat will fall out.” The bat is rare. You take the guy with the bat. The 22-year-old Riley took over left field on May 15 and it doesn’t look like he’s going to give it back, even when veteran outfielder Ender Inciarte rejoins the roster. Through his first 19 games, Riley is hitting .320 with nine homers, 26 RBI and a stunning 1.069 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). The tear has stretched into three weeks, even though Riley is seeing more off-speed pitches in fastball counts. And he’s emerged as a pillar of the Braves’ young core that has made them a postseason contender and closed the talent gap with National League heavyweights like the Los Angeles Dodgers. | 