Don’t let a stellar season from Matt Olson be forgotten

The positives for the Braves in 2025 have been few and far between. There’s a reason they are 13 games under .500 and in the conversation for the #1 overall pick this year. But of the few bright spots, none have been more luminous than Matt Olson.

The Braves’ first baseman is just nine games away from completing his fourth straight season without missing a game — a true ironman — and he’s in the midst of one of his best all-around campaigns.

Olson’s home run on Wednesday night gives him five long balls in as many days. He’s now at 28 homers to go along with his league-leading 39 doubles. With a couple of more homers and eight RBIs, he’ll have a 30 HR/100 RBI season. It would be the fourth of his career, three of which have come with the Braves. His recent hot stretch also gives him 6.2 bWAR on the year, becoming the first Braves first baseman to reach that mark twice. Yes, not even Freddie Freeman did so two times while he was in Atlanta.

To add even more accolades to Olson’s plate, he is all but a lock to win his third Gold Glove. It’s unfortunate this year will be forgotten by many because of the Braves’ success, or lack thereof, as a team, especially given the narrative surrounding how Matt Olson ended up in Atlanta. He may not have grown up with the organization like his predecessor, but he’s represented it in the exact same manner — showing up to the ballpark every day and playing at an elite level at first base.

A lot of people — from the front office all the way down to the players — deserve to be scrutinized for what’s been one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. But Matt Olson is only deserving of praise. The Braves surely don’t have to worry about first base anytime soon.