Austin Riley's heartfelt apology to Atlanta in wake of Braves' 2022 season: "I let the fans down, let the city down, just everybody basically"

Austin Riley was one of the foremost players to step up to fill the massive gap left in the Atlanta Braves lineup by the departure of Freddie Freeman in 2022.

At the time of Freeman's decision to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, departing his team of a decade, Riley was a 24-year-old coming off a season in which he hit 33 home runs, 97 RBIs, and won a World Series.

Riley, now 26, has been playing third base for the Braves since 2019. He hit .273/.348/.528 last season with a team-best 38 home runs and 93 RBIs.

His exceptional batting, especially in the second half of the season, helped the Braves amass a 10-1 home record in September and overtake the New York Mets in the NL East on the final day of the season.

Unfortunately, for Braves fans, a World Series repeat was not in the works. The Braves fell 3-1 in the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies, who would go on to contest the World Series, which they would eventually lose to the Houston Astros.

In a recent article for the Players Tribune, Austin Riley expressed his regret at last season's result and appealed to Braves fans.

"I was really hard on myself after what happened in the playoffs last year," he wrote. "I knew that I didn’t perform to the level I’m capable of, and I couldn’t help but feel like I let my teammates down. I felt like I let the fans down, let the city down, just everybody basically."

And that feeling, it didn’t just pop up and then go away. It was in the back of my mind the whole off-season.

Riley assured fans that although the result in 2022 was not something anyone on the roster was hoping for, there is tremendous chemistry in the clubhouse. He reminisced on the passion he saw during their 2021 World Series run and expressed his desire to see it again soon.

Moreover, Austin Riley cited Freddie Freeman and former Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann as two players who acted as mentors when he entered the organization several years ago.

Too early to tell for Austin Riley's Braves

With a 2023 record of 5-1, the Braves have not taken long to resume their spot at the top of the NL East. Riley is hitting .273, the same batting average he finished the 2022 season with, with a pair of home runs and five RBIs.

If Riley can continue hitting like he did last season, a 100-win season would not be an insurmountable feat for this highly skilled squad.