The Atlanta Braves are facing a familiar, terrifying reality. They will be playing without Ronald Acuna Jr. for at least the next couple of weeks. With Acuna sidelined due to a hamstring strain, the pressure is on the rest of the lineup to produce.
While the offense has been great this season as a team, the spotlight now shines brightest on the one guy that has struggled, which is third baseman Austin Riley. He is in an extended slump that has spanned over 30 games, marked by a high strikeout rate and a batting average hovering around .200 for the majority of the season. In the wake of Acuna’s injury, Riley must break out of his slump and be the hitter he is capable of being. Here are five ways Riley can turn his season around right away.
How Austin Riley Can Break Out of His Slump
1. Stop Pressing and Take What the Pitcher Gives Him
It is obvious to anyone watching that Riley is trying to do too much. Unfortunately with Acuna out, the temptation to hit doubles and home runs only grows, but the numbers show Riley is chasing pitches outside the zone, particularly breaking balls.
Riley needs to adopt a “take what’s given” mentality. Instead of swinging for the fences, he must focus on driving the ball to right-center field, allowing his power to come naturally rather than forcing it. This starts with reducing the chase rate and forcing pitchers to come into the strike zone, rather than expanding his zone to hit bad pitches.
2. Tighten Up His Two-Strike Approach
Riley has been caught taking massive swings when behind in the count, leading to high strikeout numbers. In crucial moments, especially with runners in scoring position, Riley needs to at least make contact.
Riley must shorten his swing, as he has historically been a great hitter when he trusts his bat speed rather than trying to overpower the ball. A contact-driven approach with two strikes, aimed at keeping the inning alive and moving runners over will be crucial to help make up for the loss of Acuna.
3. Re-Discover His Timing Against Fastballs
Surprisingly, while breaking balls have been an issue, a deeper look at 2026 data shows that Riley has struggled specifically against right-handed pitching, including four-seam fastballs.
He needs to get back to working with hitting coach Tim Hyers and consultant Chipper Jones on timing. Often, this is a lower-half issue, where Riley isn’t trusting his front foot to pull the trigger on time. He is one of the best hitters in the game when he is on time with the fastball, which usually leads to him crushing the ball to the right-center gap.
4. Utilize the Middle of the Field
When Riley is on, he has great power that comes with a high hard-hit rate, but during his slump, he has been pulling too many balls, leading to routine groundouts and flyballs that die in the air.
He must focus on keeping his front shoulder closed longer. By staying centered, he can utilize the entire field and turn those routine groundouts into gap-to-gap doubles. Once he begins to utilize all fields, his batting average should skyrocket.
5. Shift to a Mental Reset
Riley admitted the slump is “frustrating as hell right now”. When a player of his caliber goes 0-for-11 with eight strikeouts, as he did in a recent series against the Detroit Tigers, the mental burden is immense.
He needs to treat this stretch without Acuna as a new season. The past 30-plus games do not matter, especially considering that the Braves have been the best team in baseball while he has struggled. He should simplify his preparation, maybe change his pre-game routine, and focus on the joy of the game rather than the pressure. Guys like Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson, and Ozzie Albies have been excellent this season, so while they carry the offense, Riley needs to enter the batter’s box thinking about doing the little things right and eventually his talent will take over.
The Braves are at their best when Riley is hitting, which is scary considering how good they’ve been so far this season. As Riley said earlier this year, he wants to build momentum. With Acuna out, the time to convert that desire into results is now.
Main Image: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
