The Old Matt Olson Is Back
On April 29, 2021, Matt Olson hit himself within the face with a baseball within the batting cage at Tropicana Field. A freak bounce off the L-screen left him with the kind of shiner an athlete can normally solely purchase by going 12 rounds with Marvin Hagler, however luckily no lasting harm. By May 2, Olson was effectively sufficient to return to the lineup, and he hasn’t missed a recreation since.
Olson’s consecutive video games streak now stands at 820; not solely is that this the longest energetic run in baseball, he lately handed Nellie Fox for the Eleventh-longest streak in MLB historical past. Assuming he avoids any additional batting apply mishaps, Olson will finish the season with the eighth-longest streak ever. Only seven gamers in MLB historical past — and 10 in all of North American top-level sports activities — have ever performed in 1,000 straight video games. Olson is because of change into the Eleventh earlier than the All-Star break subsequent 12 months.
This is undeniably a powerful athletic feat. For the previous 5 seasons — and actually, near a decade, courting again to his early days in Oakland — Olson has been adequate to demand a beginning place in a giant league lineup. And for good groups, most of the time. He’s taken adequate care of his physique to resist the (appreciable, even for a primary baseman) bodily toll of a 162-game main league season, and prevented damage by affect in addition to wear-and-tear. (Olson has been hit by 30 pitches throughout his streak, and escaped together with his hamate bone intact.)
As a lot as I like Olson’s dedication and dedication, I’ve a little bit of a crank tackle iron man streaks: If you actually by no means miss a recreation, you are in all probability hurting the group.
Olson has been suiting up six days every week each season for 5 years, and whereas he isn’t taking the beating of a catcher or center infielder, he is nonetheless exerting himself sufficient to require relaxation. Not lots, however skipping the odd day recreation after an evening recreation may assist him save his power for large moments later within the 12 months.
Since Olson joined the Braves in 2022, Atlanta has gained 100 regular-season video games twice. But the Braves’ postseason report is 2-8, they usually’ve did not win a single playoff spherical since their World Series title in 2021. Olson is hitting .250/.357/.417 with two homers in these 10 video games, which is simply positive in a vacuum however under his regular requirements.
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In 2023, the Braves gained 104 video games with an unusually secure lineup: All 9 beginning place gamers performed a minimum of 100 video games. Eight of them performed a minimum of 138 video games, and along with the irreplaceable Olson, each Austin Riley and Ronald Acuña Jr. performed 159 video games apiece.
This is, from soup to nuts, among the best regular-season groups I can bear in mind. The Braves not solely gained a division that despatched three groups to the playoffs, however they gained it by 14 video games. Olson was unbelievable, belting a career-high 54 dwelling runs and hitting .283/.389/.604. This was a type of seasons that bears reaching again for the old-timey stats: Olson scored 127 runs and drove in 139. Had Acuña not scrambled away with the MVP trophy, Olson would’ve made a run on the award himself.
Olson adopted that season up with back-to-back 29-homer campaigns. Acuña and Riley each battled accidents as Atlanta’s win complete dropped by 15 from 2023 to 2024, and one other 13 from 2024 to 2025.
The extra drained the Braves seemed, the extra satisfied I turned that I had been proper all alongside: Bossman offers you all that PTO for a purpose, and also you’re solely hurting your self if you happen to do not take it.
Six weeks into the 2026 season, I discover myself… chastened. The Braves are 26-12, and Olson has, with out exaggeration, been one of the best participant within the National League. He’s hitting .301/.388/.671 with 13 dwelling runs in 38 video games, and if there are fluke indicators hiding in his stat line, they don’t seem to be particularly troubling.
He is swinging the bat tougher than in any earlier season for which bat monitoring information is accessible. And he is making extra contact than ever (each inside and outdoors the zone) and hanging out at his lowest price since 2021.
As you may suspect from a hitter with a 50-homer season on his CV, Olson has at all times had terrific uncooked energy. His lengthy levers and looping, sleek swing have by no means evinced the uncooked power or violence you may discover among the many true exit velo monsters — even sleek lefties like Shohei Ohtani. Olson hits the ball exhausting lots, and he places the ball within the air lots, and so a variety of his fly balls perform of the yard.
In 2023, Olson posted a HR/FB% of 27.8%, second behind Ohtani amongst certified hitters. Last 12 months, that quantity was right down to 16.0%, which was thirty eighth within the league. This 12 months: 23.6%. Here’s one of many 55 fly balls Olson has hit this 12 months.
Usually, after I plug a video right into a submit there’s some pedagogical worth — I would like you to see one thing particular to grasp the purpose I’m making. Not so right here. I simply thought you is likely to be to see a man put a baseball on the roof of the Cumberland Mall.
I’m not completely sure what’s modified. According to Baseball Savant, he is standing together with his toes a couple of inches nearer collectively than final 12 months, with a stance that is a pair levels extra open. Comparing the house run from above with this one from final season, the distinction is refined at greatest.
Whatever the trigger, Olson is making higher swing selections and assembly the ball extra squarely than in earlier seasons. Usually, once we say a hitter is “hot,” there’s an undercurrent of acknowledgment that he is getting fortunate. Hotness, usually as not, has extra to do with what occurs after contact than earlier than.
That’s not likely the case right here. Olson is sizzling as a result of he is seeing the ball effectively, and he is getting acceptable outcomes. This is a hitter for whom a down 12 months entails 30-odd dwelling runs and a wRC+ within the 120s; when he will get the “NBA Jam” fireball streak going, that is what it seems to be like.
It’s additionally price noting that Olson and the Braves have additionally had fairly simple competitors. Atlanta has performed 11 totally different opponents thus far this season; none of them at present (as of Thursday afternoon) has a profitable report. The Braves performed six video games towards the Phillies whereas they have been of their lifeless parrot section. Olson additionally has 4 homers in seven complete video games at Coors Field and Chase Field, the 2 highest-elevation ballparks within the league.
Still, Olson has the second-highest ISO within the National League. He’s killing the ball proper now, to an extent that may be notable even when the Braves had solely performed the Westish College Harpooners all 12 months.
In conclusion: If Olson is hitting like this, the iron man streak will maintain itself. No sane supervisor would take this bat out of the lineup, even for one recreation.
