Austin Riley has had a tough year at the plate, but his manager likes where the Braves third baseman is heading with the playoffs two days away.
The Atlanta Braves know they will open the playoffs at Truist Park on Tuesday, and the big question for that series is which version of third baseman Austin Riley shows up.
Riley is hitting .220 with 19 home runs and 200 strikeouts this season, which is a long way from the player who hit 33, 38 and 37 home runs from 2021 through 2023.
His manager still thinks the good version is on the way back.
A Rough Weekend for Riley in Miami
Atlanta beat the Miami Marlins 8-3 on Saturday at loanDepot park to move to 94-67.
Designated hitter Dominic Smith hit a two-run homer in the second inning, center fielder Michael Harris II had four hits and scored three runs, and catcher Drake Baldwin added a two-run homer in the ninth for his 25th of the year.
Pitcher Brent Suter started and threw three scoreless innings, and five relievers finished it off.
Riley went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, and he is now 0-for-8 with five strikeouts in two games in Miami.
That came right after he homered on Wednesday and Thursday against Cincinnati, so the ups and downs are still there.
He needs one more home run in Sunday's finale to reach 20 for the season.
Weiss Likes What He Sees
Riley had an emergency root canal in Houston last Sunday, and he told MLB.com he has been feeling more confident after an adjustment to how he sets his right shoulder in his stance.
Braves manager Walt Weiss has seen the work behind it.
"Austin's great," Weiss said, per MLB.com. "You never know if he's had an MVP season or if he's struggling. He's the same guy. I know, obviously, he's been working really hard all year to try to turn things around, and I think he's trending the right way."
The numbers back up part of that.
MLB.com noted that Riley hit just nine home runs in the season's first 95 games, so he has hit 10 since, and the power is starting to show up again.
His strikeout total is already a Braves single-season record, and that is the part that has to get better in October.
Why Riley Matters in October
The Braves have locked up the No. 3 seed in the National League, which means they will host the No. 6 seed in the Wild Card Series.
The Philadelphia Phillies are in line for that spot, though MLB.com noted the Arizona Diamondbacks still have a shot.
Pitcher Chris Sale will start Game 1 on Tuesday and pitcher Tyler Mahle gets Game 2 on Wednesday, with a possible Game 3 on Thursday.
The winner moves on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers, and a matchup with Los Angeles is the one Braves fans have been waiting for.
Atlanta won the NL East without Riley at his best, and there are other names who could step up in a short series.
Still, a lineup with Riley hitting like himself is much harder to get through, because other teams cannot pitch around the hitters in front of him as easily when he is a real threat.
If Weiss is right, a hot week from Riley might be all Atlanta needs in a best-of-three series.
