The Atlanta Braves have benefited heavily after they traded for Matt Olson before the 2022 season. He's been exactly as advertised to Braves fans. Olson is an elite defender at first, and he has a lot of pop in his bat. Olson has shattered franchise records, and he has become an incredible leader in the clubhouse. That's everything the team could have hoped for. A big reason for his success in Atlanta is his dependability.
The lefty slugger has been impressive so far in 2026 with a .272/.344/.552 slash line. He has 68 hits, including 19 doubles, 17 homers, 47 RBI, and a .896 OPS. He is on pace for a 40+ homer, 100+ RBI season when it's all said and done.
Olson doesn't miss a day on the field, and that helps him be the player that he is. He wants to be on the field to help the team win every day. As of Friday, June 5th, 2026, Atlanta's first baseman has played in 846 consecutive games. He is ranked 9th all-time on this list and is on pace to pass a legendary Cardinals player this year.
Matt Olson has a real chance to climb high up the consecutive games leaderboard, but the top spots are a stretch
According to Braves insider Mark Bowman, as long as things continue smoothly, Olson will pass Hall of Famer Stan Musial for the eighth-most consecutive games played on August 2nd. At the end of the 2026 season, Olson will have played in 944 games.
Bowman stated Olson could eventually rank third on the list, surpassing Everett Scott at 1,307 games played. However, Olson will probably never reach the heights of Lou Gehrig and Cal Ripken Jr. There just aren't enough games left for him to play.
Olson has four years left in Atlanta if you include his club option for 2030. If he plays in every game during that time, he will reach 1,592 consecutive games played at age 36. He would have to play in every game for almost eight years to reach Gehrig's number. That is extremely unlikely.
However, Bowman's suggestion that Olson will reach number three on the list feels extremely likely. It really puts into perspective just how durable Gehrig and Ripken were during their careers. What Olson has done, especially in today's game, is absolutely impressive.
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