Atlanta Braves slugger Matt Olson might be one of the most underrated power hitters in MLB.
He played on a small-market team for years in Oakland, but even after his move to the Atlanta Braves (reigning World Series champions), it seems like fans and analysts don’t talk enough about his feats and his enormous power.
In Wednesday afternoon’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the 28-year-old lefty-hitting star went yard, going 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs and four RBI.
He has been raking for a while now: in his last 15 games, Olson is slashing .262/.303/.607 with six home runs.
A Surprising Comparison
In fact, when we compare his power output to some of the greatest sluggers in the game of baseball, we find some surprising conclusions.
“Matt Olson has hit 169 homers in 701 MLB games. Willie Mays hit 169 in his first 701 MLB games. Mark McGwire hit 169 in his first 701 MLB games,” Codify Baseball tweeted.
Matt Olson has hit 169 homers in 701 MLB games.
Willie Mays hit 169 in his first 701 MLB games.
Mark McGwire hit 169 in his first 701 MLB games.pic.twitter.com/8cQ9awjWUw— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) August 24, 2022
We are not saying that Olson will have the same career, or power production, as two of the most feared power hitters ever to don an MLB uniform.
We are saying that so far, Olson has quietly performed at a similar level when it comes to home runs exclusively, and that’s some fine company to be around.
If Olson can have the same longevity as Mays; or the power peak that Big Mac had, he could be in for a lot more homers in his career.
For now, let’s not get that ahead and recognize the production of a great slugger.
In the 2022 season, he already has 27 home runs with a cool .830 OPS.
The Braves needed to replace Freddie Freeman, and Olson has been more than competent in that regard.
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