That silver slugger finalist nod isn't saving Austin Riley's fantasy prospects Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

CBS Sports Names Braves All-Star a Fantasy Bust Candidate

Originally posted on Atlanta Braves on SI
By Brooks Crew | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 7:00 AM ET

In a 2025 season in which the Atlanta Braves failed dramatically to meet preseason expectations, struggled with injury and landed the superlative of “most disappointing team,” the hits just seem to keep on coming.

Chris Towers of CBS Sports, just days after listing Ozzie Albies as a top-10 fantasy baseball second baseman, announced his superlative for Braves third baseman Austin Riley, listing him as the “biggest bust” at the position in 2025.

“Once might be an aberration,” Towers said, “but two down seasons in a row is a lot harder to ignore. I was mostly willing to give Riley the benefit of the doubt for his poor showing in 2024… It's harder to make that case for 2025. For one thing, Riley was worse in 2025 than in 2024, and it wasn't just the surface-level numbers.

“He didn't get better as the season progressed in the way teammate Ozzie Albies did,” Towers concluded, “which makes it harder to buy that as an explanation.”

Interestingly, though Towers’ article references a “lingering hand injury” that plagued Riley in 2024, there’s only limited mention of the season-ending abdominal injury he suffered during the Speedway Classic in August. Of course, he’s not played sense, which would help explain his diminished numbers.

The MLB doesn’t seem to think Riley was a disappointment this year, either; in fact, he’s just one of two Braves to land a finalist spot as a Silver Slugger, the most prestigious seasonal award for hitting.

On his way to qualify for this award, Riley batted .260 with 16 home runs and 54 RBI, good for a .737 OPS despite his season being cut to just 102 games due to his aforementioned injury. Even Towers admits that Riley “looked more like himself” just before his season came to an abrupt end.

Whatever the case, Riley’s expected to make a full recovery and be ready by Spring Training. Once he’s back to 100%, the already two-time Silver Slugger will surely make an impact for the Braves, regardless of who ends up in the managerial seat.