Matt Olson has been one of the most dependable players for the Braves since he was acquired ahead of the 2022 season. He's shattered franchise records and become a fan favorite. Olson has done everything possible to fill the void that was left by Freddie Freeman. He's absolutely done that with great offensive production and Gold Glove defense.
The first half of the 2026 season had Olson creeping into the National League MVP conversation. Atlanta's first baseman had a .267/.339/.534 slash line, with 24 doubles, 25 home runs, 58 RBI, and a 135 wRC+.
Those are incredible numbers, and he's a big reason why the Braves built up such a nice lead in the division. Unfortunately, that success has not carried over into the second half. Olson hasn't been much of a factor outside of a few clutch homers.
Matt Olson needs to make a pair of key adjustments to break out of his prolonged slump
Olson's wRC+ has dropped to just above league average at 102 so far in the second half. It's pretty rough to see a slash line of .212/.293/.457 after he played so well early on.
The struggles have been a lot more visible recently. Over the last 15 games, Olson has a .150/.203/.233 slash line with 9 hits, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 BB, and 19 K. There's something about even years for Olson. His production always seems to dip. It's pretty clear when you take a deeper look why he's struggled so much. What stands out most is that Olson isn't getting on base nearly as often as he had been.
Overall, the Braves' slugging lefty's walk percentage has dropped considerably from last season. It's dropped 34%, from an 89% walk rate in 2025 to a 55% walk rate in 2026. That's a huge problem.
It's also important to note that his batting average against fastballs has dropped 44 points from last season (from .301 to .257) despite Olson hitting 20 of his homers off of them. And it's not like he's striking out more than usual. On the contrary, Olson has reduced his K-rate from 30% last year to 21% this year.
What's strange about that is that Olson's fly ball percentage is also the highest of his career, at 35.4%. So why is it that he's struggling to get the ball to leave the park lately? His launch angle sweet spot percentage is the culprit.
Olson's LA sweet spot percentage has dipped from 76% in 2025 to an eye-opening 30% in 2026. He's simply not getting enough lift on baseballs. It could be that he simply needs to make a swing adjustment to fix that. If Olson can do that and increase his walk rate, things might get back on track.
Atlanta will need him to be a major factor if they're going to make a deep run in the postseason. Hopefully, that return to form is closer than fans realize.
Add us as a preferred source on Google