The deal begins in 2023 and runs through the ’32 season and includes a $20 million club option for 2033. Riley also agreed to donate $2.12 million to the Atlanta Braves Foundation, according to the team. The news comes just weeks after the 25-year-old Riley appeared in his first All-Star game. He is currently hitting .301 with 29 home runs and 68 RBIs, with a .964 OPS in 101 games this season. His 61 extra-base hits are the most in the majors, and included 26 in July — breaking Hank Aaron’s previous franchise record by one (1961).
Riley currently has the second-shortest odds to win the NL MVP at +500, behind only St. Paul’s Paul Goldschmidt. Louis Cardinals (-140). Riley was the Braves first round pick in 2015. He made his major league debut four years later, and broke out last season, finishing seventh in NL MVP voting after hitting .303 with 33 home runs and 107 RBI. With the extension, the Braves’ young core of Riley, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies are now signed through at least 2025 (Albie’s contract runs through 2025, with team options in 2026 and ’27; the deal Acuna’s contract runs through 2026, with team options in 2027 and ’28). All three are aged 25 and over. This report used information from the Associated Press.
