Olson Named Braves' MVP by MLB.com

Few things seem to have gone right for the Atlanta Braves this season, but there have been a few highlights. Drake Baldwin is certainly on pace to win NL Rookie of the Year honors, which would make him the third Brave in recent memory to achieve that honor. With that said, though, MLB.com is high on another Braves player, even going as far as to name him the team’s MVP of the season.

Matt Olson has always been an interesting figure in Braves history. Coming in to replace the Braves’ beloved Freddie Freeman, expectations were high for the first baseman, but he still managed to exceed them, boasting a league-leading 54 home runs in just his second year with the squad. 

Now, he’s one of the few bright spots of a disappointing season, earning himself the honors of being MLB.com’s most valuable player for the Braves this season.

“In a rough year, the happiest story might have been Olson getting back to his MVP-level self after a difficult 2024,” MLB.com’s Will Leitch wrote. “He might not hit 54 homers again, but he leads the NL in doubles [with 40] and put up the second-highest OBP [.374] of his career.”

Olson has been quite consistent throughout the year, and he seems to have truly gotten into stride in the past week. He was so good, in fact, that the Atlanta native earned himself well-deserved NL Player of the Week honors, posting an impressive 1.386 OPS and eight extra-base hits.

Over the last week, Olson has also amassed three home runs, 12 runs, and 10 RBI in seven games, all of which the Braves won. Unfortunately for the Braves, it’s a bit too late for a push, as they were eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday, marking the first time the Braves will not play in October since 2017.

Olson’s Braves, largely in part to his heroics, are on an eight-game winning streak headed into their final two series of the season, against the Nationals and then the Pirates. If the Braves’ MVP is able to continue this momentum into and out of the offseason, things could certainly look different for the Braves next season.

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