Freddie Freeman‘s replacement for the Atlanta Braves is heating up.
Matt Olson, who the Braves traded for in the offseason before Freeman signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, has had a incredibly productive July, just in time to help his team accumulate wins and try to overtake the New York Mets at the top of the NL East standings.
“#Braves 1B Matt Olson has 7 HR thus far in July, his most in any month since joining Atlanta. His 22 RBI in July are the most in the National League and just one behind Yankees slugger Aaron Judge for most in MLB this month,” writer and reporter Grant McAuley tweeted.
#Braves 1B Matt Olson has 7 HR thus far in July, his most in any month since joining Atlanta.
His 22 RBI in July are the most in the National League and just one behind Yankees slugger Aaron Judge for most in MLB this month. pic.twitter.com/ADOCndMmcS
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) July 27, 2022
Seven homers in a month is a terrific power pace, and July still has a few days until it’s over.
Olson Has Helped The Braves Get Closer To The Mets
Olson has been a big reason why the Braves went from being over 10 games behind the Mets to just two in a matter of weeks.
Atlanta sacrificed money and prospects to get a deal done with the Oakland Athletics for the slugging first baseman, and then gave him a mammoth eight-year extension.
The big man is paying enormous dividends as of late.
For the season, he is slashing .251/.338/.492 with 19 home runs, 35 doubles (!) and a solid .830 OPS.
As long as Olson remains hot, the race for the NL East title will be a fascinating one for the remaining two-plus months of the regular season.
Both the Braves and Mets want to win the division, and will need each and every star to play to the top of their abilities.
OIson’s OPS was a much better .911 last year, so he certainly has some room to improve.
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