Austin Riley pays tribute to Hall of Famer Chipper Jones as 2x All-Star slugger takes inspiration from 'the Braves way'

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley revealed that he looks up to former legendary players of the franchise, such as Chipper Jones, for inspiration in terms of upholding the ideals and traditions of the organization. Riley said players like Jones personified the Braves' tenets, which are founded upon hard work, respect, and fair play.

Riley was picked up by the Atlanta Braves in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft and has become one of the cornerstones of the team since making his debut in 2019. He is a two-time All-Star with two Silver Slugger awards besides winning the 2021 World Series with the Braves.

On Tuesday, Austin Riley chatted up with former Cy Young winner Jake Peavy at the Braves spring training facility in North Port, Florida. Riley explained 'the Braves way' in response to a question from Peavy during the interview for MLB Network.

"I think of Chipper Jones, Terry Pendleton, [Dale] Murphy, and Fred McGriff. Those guys were still around when I was coming up," he said. "The way they played the game. They played with respect. They played hard. And that's what we try to model."

"This game will beat you down in a heartbeat," he added. "If you respect it and play it the right way, come to work every day; it will treat you right. That's what we try to do here."

Chipper Jones played his entire 19-game MLB career with Atlanta. He was part of the Braves' 1995 World Series-winning team and was named the NL MVP in 1999. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.

I'm ready to go out there: Austin Riley on returning from lengthy injury layoff

Austin Riley fractured his right hand last year after getting hit by a pitch (Image Source: IMAGN)

Despite reaching the postseason yet again last year, the Atlanta Braves lost their hold on the National League East division title and later exited the playoffs in the wild-card round.

The Braves roster had been reduced significantly with Austin Riley being one of the numerous injured players on the team after suffering a hand fracture in August that ended his campaign.

"It was a strange year last year with the hand injury," Riley said. "Initial reaction with all that, thought I was going to be back at some point in the playoffs. Ended up being in a cast for 14 weeks. Took longer than expected. I'm healthy now. That's all that matters.

"We're ready for the season. Excited. The swing's feeling good, and defense is feeling good. So, I'm ready to go out there," he added.

Austin Riley was limited to just 110 games in 2024, having missed just eight games over the previous three seasons. It was not a highly productive campaign for him offensively either, after finishing with a .256/.322/.461 slash line with 19 home runs, 56 RBIs, and an OPS+ of 115.