.jpg)
1 hour ago
2
Austin Riley may not actually be shrinking.
But the Atlanta Braves' third baseman isn't as tall as he used to be.
Riley was listed as 6-foot-3 in the 2024 MLB season.
Last year, he was listed as 6-foot-2.
And now, Riley heads into the new campaign with an official height of 6-foot-1.
This mostly has to do with the ABS challenge system, which depends on a player's official height to determine the top and bottom of the strike zone.
"We’re going to see a lot of height changes this year because, with the rollout of ABS, MLB is now measuring each player's height down to the millimeter," Joe Pompliano wrote on X. "The process is super strict — no shoes, no hats, knees exposed, back against the wall — and to account for potential shrinkage throughout the day, MLB is even requiring all its teams to take measurements between 10 am and 12 pm local time on their appointed day."
MORE: Cubs' Daniel Palencia completes improbable rise for Venezuela
The Braves won't be as concerned with Riley's height as they will with his production.
"Last spring, Riley’s goal was to stay healthy, but things didn’t quite play out that way: He required core muscle surgery in August, suffering a season-ending injury for the second consecutive year," MLB.com's Jared Greenspan wrote earlier this spring. "Riley also posted his worst numbers -- including an 86 OPS+ and a .428 slugging percentage -- since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The raw power is still in there somewhere, and a few tape-measure shots this spring would help restore our confidence."
If the Braves get a potent Riley, they won't care if he keeps on "shrinking."
If Riley struggles, though, his role might eventually get smaller in Atlanta.
English (US)