The Atlanta Braves have always prided themselves on having defensively sound teams every year. That has continued to be the case each year, with some exceptions. The infield is one of the best in baseball, and two-thirds of the outfielders tout elite defense. Left field has continued to be a bit of an outlier each season for the Braves. A recent leaderboard was released on the best and worst defensive runs saved (DRS) for each position in Major League Baseball.
Atlanta has two representatives on this list, and they feature on both sides of the list. This is great news for those defending the current state of the Braves' first base position, but is decidedly less great news for fans looking for positive news about left field.
Best and Worst Defensive Runs Saved by Position pic.twitter.com/HDFzsLpCeW
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) September 5, 2025
Matt Olson ranks as best defensive 1B by Defensive Runs Saved, Jurickson Profar finishes last among LF
Matt Olson is well-known for his outstanding defense at first base and durability. He is a two-time Gold Glove winner and is well on his way to winning a third this year. Atlanta's lefty slugger leads all MLB first basemen with a 15 DRS this season.
Believe it or not, former Braves star Freddie Freeman carries the worst DRS among MLB first basemen at -10.
The Atlanta player with the unfortunate honor of being in the worst category for DRS is outfielder Jurickson Profar. He is sitting at -9 this season despite some nice highlights sprinkled in. His range isn't the best, and he doesn't always make the best reads.
Profar's arm strength is average at best, and fans will deal with his mediocre defense as long as he performs offensively. He has slowly started making amends for his suspension by performing well at the plate. He is slashing .258/.362/.472 with 12 doubles, 12 homers, and 37 RBI. He has also impressed in the strikeout and walk departments, at 12.9 and 15.9 percent, respectively.
Olson is doing exactly what he is expected to do at first. He has great instincts and a knack for helping snag some tough throws from his fellow infielders. It took him some time to get things right offensively this season, but he eventually got back to what fans would like from their All-Star first baseman.
His home run numbers aren't where we'd like them to be, but he is making much more consistent contact. Olson leads all of baseball with 36 doubles on the season to combine with his 21 home runs and 77 RBI. As long as he keeps hitting the ball hard combined with his stellar defense, the floor for his production is always going to be higher than most.