Atlanta Braves: Top 10 Players Heading into 2022 Postseason
By Seth Carter
9. William Contreras
.276 avg, 20 HR, 48 R, 44 RBI, 2 SB, 138 OPS+
A bit of a surprise this season. William Contreras made his season debut in the third game of the year. He went 0-4 and was optioned to Gwinnett. The Braves started the season with Travis d’Arnaud as the primary backstop and veteran Manny Piña was brought in to serve as his backup.
When Piña was placed on the IL with a wrist injury that eventually required season-ending surgery, Contreras took full advantage of the opportunity. William’s bat proved to be so explosive that he routinely found himself in the DH spot when he wasn’t filling in for TDA behind the plate.
Contreras earned an All-Star selection as the National League DH. He and his brother, the Cubs Willson Contreras, became the first brothers to be selected to the same All-Star game since Bret and Aaron Boone did it in 2003.
His .860 OPS is 38% above league average.
8. Matt Olson
.240 avg, 32 HR, 83 R, 99 RBI, 0 SB, 120 OPS+
It became clear the Atlanta Braves were out of the Freddie Freeman sweepstakes when they announced a trade for Oakland A’s slugger Matt Olson. He came to Atlanta with some big spikes to fill. Nobody thought he’d completely replace Freddie but he certainly offered a better value in terms of the contract.
Alex Anthopoulos quickly worked out a long-term deal with Olson. He is set to be a centerpiece for years to come. Olson is signed through 2029 with an option for 2030, never earning more than $22 million per year.
Olson came to the Braves as a two-time Gold Glove Award winner and a two-time All-Star, through his age-27 season.
This season has been a bit up and down for Matt. Through the first 82 games, he looked like a lock to smash the club record for doubles, held by Marcus Giles with 49. Olson was on pace for 63!
That pace slowed but he still has a stellar 43 doubles this season. Add that to his 32 homers and you see what a reliable power source he has been for the Braves.
His average of .240 leaves a little to be desired but he’s never been a player to consistently hit for a high average. His career slugging percentage of .501 is where his game is.
He gets on base and he crushes the ball.
Olson leads the league in games played with 158.