Austin Riley Sounds Off After Braves Fall to 0-7

At 0-7, the Atlanta Braves are off to their worst start in a season since 2016. Brian Snitker became Braves manager during May of that season after the team fired Fredi Gonzalez.

Like Snitker, some of the current Braves players were in the minor leagues with the organization when Atlanta started 0-9 nine years ago. Third baseman Austin Riley was at Single-A at the time.

No minor league experience can prepare one for the frustration that comes with an 0-7 start to an MLB season. To deal with the adversity, Riley is choosing to look in the mirror.

The veteran third baseman slammed his own performance to begin the season after the team lost the series finale to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-5, on Wednesday night.

“From a personal standpoint, it’s honestly embarrassing what I’ve displayed offensively,” Riley said, via MLB.com's Mark Bowman. “I’ve got a lot of work to do. It’s embarrassing.”

Riley added that Wednesday's defeat wasn't on closer Raisel Iglesias, who yielded a run in the ninth and allowed two inherited runners to score during the eighth. The Braves held a 5-0 lead Wednesday but lost in the ninth inning.

But Riley blamed the offense, which didn't tally a single earned run in the loss. All five runs the Braves scored were unearned.

It's not hard to see why Riley was harsh on his own performance. Riley went 3-for-27 (.111 average) with two walks and 11 strikeouts during the seven-game road trip.

Every MLB hitter goes through weeks like Riley just did. The problem is just about every Braves hitter is slumping to begin 2025.

One week into the 2025 season, the Braves are last in the MLB in batting average and OPS. The team is second-to-last in on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Similar to last season when the Braves offense wasn't the same juggernaut as 2023, the Atlanta lineup is dealing with injuries. But Riley and Ozzie Albies are back. Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson, who have each been recent MVP candidates, are in the lineup too along with exciting young players Michael Harris II and Drake Baldwin.

There's no excuse for the Braves offense starting as poorly as it has.

But the first step toward fixing a problem is accountability. Riley had that in droves Wednesday, which should give fans hope that there are better days ahead for the Braves offense.