The Braves have agreed to a $1.6MM bonus with supplemental first round pick Austin Riley, a client of MVP Sports, Jim Callis of MLB.com tweets. Riley’s payout is a shade under $100K north of the $1,506,400 slot allocation for the 41st pick.
Riley offers two-way potential out of high school, profiling as a third baseman on the position side. It appears that Atlanta will utilize him at the hot corner, though it’s always nice to have some down-the-line pitching potential if things don’t work out.
The Braves obviously viewed Riley more favorably than did most draft observers. The highest grade placed on Riley came from MLB.com, which rated him the 106th-best player available while noting that his ability to hit pro-level fastballs is a question mark. Baseball America had Riley in the 164th slot, crediting his power upside (and bat speed) while noting that he’ll have work to do to boost his standing in the field.
Riley becomes Atlanta’s earliest selection to sign. The club has yet to agree to terms with first-rounder Kolby Allard and comp pick Mike Soroka.
This didn’t age well. Scouts don’t know ish apparently