The Atlanta Braves have managed to stay at the top of the leaderboards throughout the 2026 season despite an uneven campaign. But one of the club’s biggest concerns has been the prolonged struggles for one of its franchise cornerstones, and time is running out for him to turn it around.
As Austin Riley’s offensive decline comes close to defining his most disappointing season for the Braves yet, manager Walt Weiss sent a message that acknowledged just how much he has struggled at the plate, while offering a reason for some optimism.
Atlanta Braves Manager Walt Weiss Sends Austin Riley Message Amid Brutal Slump
Despite Riley’s difficult campaign, Weiss believes there are recent examples within the organization that should give both the player and the club confidence that it’s not too late to turn things around.
“We have a couple recent examples of guys who had really difficult first halves and then turned it around with Michael Harris and (Ozzie) Albies last year,” Weiss said during an appearance on MLB Network Radio. “Really difficult first halves. And they turned it around the second half and they carried it into this year. So I think there’s some recent examples for Austin.”
The comments come as Riley attempts to reverse what has been arguably the worst season of his major league career. Riley is batting just .221, the worst average in his eight years with the Braves.
The results are particularly concerning given the infielders’ 10-year, $212 million contract, which has been a major disappointment with six more years to go.
“The return on the Braves’ investment has paled of late,” Jesus Cano wrote for The Athletic. “His power declined in 2024, and the trend continued into 2025. Riley had season-ending injuries in each year.”
Atlanta Braves Hold Out Hope For Austin Riley Turnaround
Given the size and duration of Riley’s contract, the team has little choice but to remain committed to him as one of the faces of the franchise.
For now, Weiss is choosing optimism over concern. Rather than viewing Riley’s disappointing first half as a sign of permanent decline, the Braves want to believe that the recent examples from Harris and Albies offer a roadmap for Riley to enjoy a similar turnaround.
And while Riley remains in a career-worst season at the plate, he has recently shown some improvement.
“The veteran third baseman still hasn’t gone on one of those tears he regularly enjoyed while producing three consecutive 30-homer seasons from 2021-23,” Mark Bowman noted for MLB.com after Riley ups his average exit velocity following the All-Star break. “But he also doesn’t look like the guy who entered the break hitting .207 with a .617 OPS.”
Though his season has been quite difficult, Riley will be enjoying a long leash as he looks to make a sustained improvement.