DETROIT — Whereas creating the argument that he will probably be MLB’s finest first baseman over the rest of this decade, Matt Olson has capably changed a beloved possible Corridor of Famer and calmly dealt with the added obligations that include enjoying to your hometown workforce.
“How he handles all the pieces is unbelievable,” Braves supervisor Brian Snitker stated. “It blows me away how these boring professionals play daily and have lengthy, nice careers as a result of they don’t journey these crests and have these highs and lows.”
Snitker throws the time period “boring professional” round loads, however it really does appear to use to the soft-spoken Olson. The Braves’ first baseman appears like a cinch to win his third profession Gold Glove Award, and he’s two homers shy of what could be his fifth 30-homer season. And he additionally claimed the Nationwide League lead when he tallied his fortieth double in a 10-1 win over the Tigers on Friday night time at Comerica Park.
“It’s by no means about himself,” Braves hitting coach Tim Hyers stated. “He brings quite a lot of guys with him, and he makes gamers round him higher.”
4 years later, the Braves’ reasoning for selecting to make a long-term funding in Olson — fairly than Freddie Freeman — is trying much more sound. Freeman will someday be part of former Braves teammate Chipper Jones in Cooperstown, N.Y., and his No. 5 might grasp in Truist Park in some unspecified time in the future.
However even in the event you imagine Freeman might need finally accepted a five-year supply from Atlanta, the Braves have been weighing how efficient he’d stay into his mid-to-late 30s. Olson was the extra enticing long-term possibility as a result of he’s 5 years youthful than his predecessor.
Freeman constructed a magical World Sequence final 12 months and he stays elite. However as he nears the tip of his age-35 season, it’s onerous to say he’s nonetheless the sport’s finest first baseman. It’s simpler to provide that title to Olson, who has 4 extra years left on his contract, which features a membership possibility for 2030.
So, whereas it might need harm to say goodbye to Freeman instantly after he helped the Braves win the 2021 World Sequence, there’s purpose to be enthusiastic about what the long run holds for Olson, who entered Friday main all MLB first basemen with 6.1 bWAR (Baseball Reference’s Wins Above Alternative mannequin) this 12 months.
And to additional sign there is likely to be a altering of the guard, Olson (20.8) now ranks simply forward of Freeman (20.7) in bWAR for the reason that begin of the 2022 season.
For those who’re into FanGraphs’ WAR mannequin, Olson leads all MLB first basemen with 4.8 fWAR this 12 months. However his 17.3 fWAR for the reason that begin of 2022 ranks second solely to Freeman’s (21.8).
“I do not suppose WAR is ideal both,” Olson stated. “There’s at all times flaws and numbers, however, you understand, the principle focus goes and grinding and making an attempt to win and having fun with being on the market with the blokes.”
No matter what you consider WAR, it’s outstanding how intently linked these two first basemen have remained. Olson’s RBI double in Friday’s lopsided win pushed him forward of Freeman for sole possession of the NL lead.
Olson entered Sept. 13 needing seven homers over the workforce’s closing 15 video games to achieve the 30-homer mark for the third time in 4 seasons with Atlanta. He homered 5 occasions over the subsequent six video games and now wants simply two homers over the workforce’s closing eight video games to achieve that whole.
“All people loves clear numbers,” Olson stated.
If Olson hits two extra house runs, he’ll have matched the variety of 30-homer seasons (3) Freeman had throughout his decade-plus tenure in Atlanta. Now, talking of unpolluted numbers, Olson completed with simply 29 house runs final 12 months. Does the absence of 1 homer considerably diminish the manufacturing?
Hank Aaron (15), Eddie Mathews (10), Andruw Jones (7), Chipper Jones (6) and Dale Murphy (6) are the one Braves with greater than three 30-homer seasons. Olson may be part of this group as early as subsequent 12 months.
Or you would say he’s only one house run away from becoming a member of these identical gamers as the one ones to have 4 29-homer seasons for the Braves.
“A few of these balls he hit this final sequence [at Nationals Park] had jet streams,” Snitker stated.
