The Braves’ 2025 season has taken a turn that even their own players are struggling to comprehend—and now it’s Austin Riley, one of Atlanta’s clubhouse anchors, who’s echoing what Braves fans have been screaming into their pillows for weeks.
After a gut-punch of a 4-3 loss on Sunday that sealed a brutal series sweep at the hands of the San Francisco Giants, Riley stood in front of reporters and admitted what everyone’s been thinking: the wheels are off, and no one seems to know how to put them back on.
Riley Doesn’t Know What to Say
“I am a little lost for words..” Riley said via The Athletic. That’s how Riley described the mood. This team, once a postseason fixture and offensive juggernaut, now looks like a shell of itself. A seven-game losing streak can do that to you—especially when every aspect of the roster seems to be taking turns collapsing.
The bats are cold, the bullpen is cracking, and the defense suddenly is unreliable. Sometimes, it’s all of the above. Riley talked about self-reflection, disappointment, and evaluating what each player can do better.
But in the same breath, he reminded everyone that this roster isn’t inexperienced. Most of these guys have been part of that postseason streak. They’ve won before. They know how to win. And yet, right now? They just can’t seem to make it happen.
Braves Finding New Ways to Lose
The Braves aren’t just losing. They’re finding increasingly bizarre ways to do it. Against the Giants, they went 3-for-22 with runners in scoring position. That’s not just bad luck. That’s an offense in a deep funk.
And when they have managed to score runs? The bullpen has blown it. Case in point: the six-run ninth-inning collapse against the Diamondbacks last Thursday. Or Pierce Johnson surrendering a walk-off homer Saturday. Or Ozzie Albies’ costly error Sunday that opened the door for the go-ahead run.
It’s not just one guy or one department—it’s everyone. And that’s the scariest part for Braves fans: when it’s this systemic, it’s that much harder to fix.
When It Rains, It Pours
And let’s not forget the frustrating little extras—like Gabe Morales’ strike zone, which drew ire and an ejection for Brian Snitker on Saturday. Or the questionable called third strike on Alex Verdugo Sunday in the ninth when the Braves had a sliver of a chance to rally.
Everything that could go wrong is going wrong. It’s bad bounces, bad timing, and bad baseball. And it’s clear now—even the most composed guys in the clubhouse, like Riley, are running out of ways to spin it.
