Braves Prospect Riley (Danville 2015) Homers in MLB Debut

 Mike Soroka  has been well aware of Austin Riley 's raw power potential since the two were selected by the Braves in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft. But he was still among the many who were awed when the young slugger immediately took advantage of the chance to display his strength at the big league level.

Riley highlighted his much-anticipated Major League debut by hitting a monstrous home run that backed Soroka's strong seven-inning performance and helped the Braves claim a 4-0 win over the Cardinals Wednesday night at SunTrust Park.
After striking out in the second inning in his first career plate appearance, Riley strolled to the plate in the fourth inning and crushed Michael Wacha's elevated 2-1 fastball deep into the left-center-field seats. The no-doubt leadoff homer traveled a projected 438 feet with a 109.1 mph exit velocity, per Statcast.
Riley's first career homer provided a two-run lead for Soroka, who scattered three singles and pitched around three walks over seven scoreless innings. The 21-year-old right-hander has produced a 0.98 ERA through his first six starts.
Riley stirred the home crowd when he flied out to center field in the sixth. The 22-year-old homered in 10 of his last 50 at-bats recorded for Triple-A Gwinnett before he was promoted.