Austin Riley on Wednesday became the latest of a class of onetime Double-A prospects to graduate the Braves' system and make an immediate MLB impact.
Riley crushed a solo home run in his debut against the Cardinals shortly after greeting his former minor league teammates in the SunTrust Park clubhouse.
AUSTIN RILEY MADE THIS LOOK LIKE BP.
— Sporting News MLB (@sn_mlb) May 16, 2019
MLB debut home run.pic.twitter.com/qQ2e1JiPLH
Emerging Atlanta stars Ronald Acuna Jr., Max Fried and Mike Soroka were also on Mississippi's roster in 2017. So, too, were current Braves Touki Toussaint, Chad Sobotka and Wes Parsons.
It’s rare for teams to hoard such up-and-coming firepower, and even rarer for that promise to pay off right away. Acuna is probably Atlanta’s best young hitter, slashing .288/.366/.562 over his first two seasons. Fried and Soroka have been the team’s top starters this season. Toussaint is widely believed to be on the verge of a breakthrough as well.
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That’s not to mention other Braves prospects who have graduated recently, just not on the exact timeline of the aforementioned group. Shortstop Dansby Swanson, second baseman Ozzie Albies and utilityman Johan Camargo are also key contributors.
Albies and Acuna are already signed to long-term deals, reflecting their talent and Atlanta's confidence in their potential to blossom further.
Not only has the Braves' crop of young players led a turnaround from cellar-dwellers to contenders, but the joint ascendency of the group has made an impact on the team's chemistry. These guys have known each other in some cases since their teenage years, which has built a lasting bond.
“You kind of know (the chemistry is good) when you have the confidence to not only talk about baseball, but talk about other stuff with your teammates,” Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in the offseason. “That’s when you realize they are not only teammates, they can be your friends, too. I’ve got a lot of friends here and I enjoy being around them. I feel like everyone else feels the same way.”
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Inciarte, 28, watched the team come together after Atlanta traded for him ahead of the 2016 season. He's well-aware of the gulf between the roster that lost 93 games in his first year and the team that won the NL East last season and is battling for a playoff spot this campaign.
So while Riley’s debut long ball was notable for a few reasons, from the length of the homer (438 feet) to it coming in his second career at-bat, it was not entirely surprising. Given what we’ve seen from this group of Braves over the past few seasons, not much can deliver a genuine shock.