Approaching Milestones That Can Define Braves Matt Olson's Season

As the season comes to a close, Matt Olson continues his late race to the finish. The Atlanta Braves’ first baseman hit a home run in five of his last six games. If you want to get technical, he’s still hit a home run in five consecutive days. 

He’s also driven in 11 runs during this stretch, including at least one in each of the last six games being mentioned. 

Suddenly, Olson is back within striking distance of another potential, 30-home-run, 100-RBI season. He just needs two home runs and eight RBIs over the next nine games.

These are two marks that historically have helped define, not just a good season, but an All-Star campaign. At this pace, both defining benchmarks could come in the next few days. 

“It’s just good to see him,” manager Brian Snitker said via the FanDuel Sports Network. “He’s been squaring up everything and playing great and on both sides of the ball and just the testament of what the professional he is and the consistent ballplayer he is.”

Should Olson reach this season's benchmark, it would be the fourth time in five years that he’s had at least 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. Three of those would be in a Braves uniform, which would make him the seventh player in franchise history to achieve this at least this many times.  

He fell one home run and two RBIs short last season. He had a strong end to 2024 as well, but his season before that was simply less consistent than the one he is having this year. 

Once he reaches three, he’ll match the recently inducted Braves team Hall of Fame member, Wally Burger. Once he reaches five, he’ll match Braves legends, Eddie Matthews, Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones and Dale Murphy. 

He’s closing in on joining some exclusive company in franchise history. 

But that’s where he stands from a Braves perspective. This doesn’t reflect where he stands among others in the league. 

His home runs are sixth and his RBIs are third among all first basemen in the Major Leagues. At this pace, he has a chance to climb higher in the rankings. 

Olson’s chance of doing this is reflective of some other stats that help place him among the top players at his position in the game. 

Olson’s .869 OPS is second in the Majors behind Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and his .372 on-base percentage is second to the Blue Jays first baseman as well. 

His .497 slugging is tied with former Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman for third among first basemen in MLB. 

Reaching 30 home runs and 100 RBIs, typically, isn’t doable without a high-caliber performance.

If anything can still go right for this team this season, it’s the achievements of their All-Star first baseman. After some doubts that surrounded him ahead of this season, he was able to silence them. 

It shows that maybe other All-Stars on the team can do the same next year. 

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