Austin Riley (3B, ATL) - Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: Among this week’s wave of minor league call-ups, owners should draw their attention towards Austin Riley to make an immediate impact on their squad. After crushing the ball in Triple-A to a .299/.377/.681 slash line across 37 games, Riley earned his big league promotion at the expense of Ender Inciarte landing on the injured list. The 22-year-old smacked an impressive 15 homers and 39 RBI for Gwinnett as the club shifted him from his natural third base position to the outfield before his call-up. This position change was made to get Riley on a faster track to the majors with Josh Donaldson clogging up third base and Inciarte struggling even before the injury. Now that he’s here, it’s time to invest.

In his first big league game, the top prospect got the nod in left field batting sixth for the Braves. Riley wasted no time settling in belting a home run in his second at-bat attaining his first souvenir for his trophy case. He followed this up on Thursday with an opposite-field laser that hit the top edge of the wall, millimetres from clearing the high right field fence. Riley settled for a double and also added two singles, an RBI, and a pair of runs to prove that he belongs at this level.

With Inciarte out, Riley will continue to get everyday at-bats, although he will likely get substituted for defense late in games as he’s still developing as an outfielder. His bat alone will keep him in the lineup, and if he keeps hitting the way he is, Inciarte may be relegated to bench duties when he returns. Add Riley with confidence, his talent is salivating, and his ability to hit for both power and average is extraordinary.