Matt Olson entered 2024 as one of baseball's most feared hitters after he demolished 54 homers and drove in a record-setting 139 runs. It was the best season of his career, and he'd have won the NL MVP if Ronald Acuña Jr. hadn't existed.
There was an expectation for some regression in 2024, but no one could have expected things to go as poorly as they did. Olson ended 2024 with a line of .247/.333/.457, including 29 home runs, 98 RBI, 71 walks, 170 strikeouts, and a .790 OPS.
He severely underperformed, and at one point, it looked like he wouldn't even reach 25+ home runs. His first half was extremely rough, as through 95 games, Olson batted .230 with 81 hits, including 21 doubles, a triple, 13 home runs, 44 RBI, 36 BB, and 109 K.
However, a deeper look shows that his first-half numbers were dragged down by a rough first month. April featured a .202 average, while he batted .270 and .255 in May and June, respectively.
Matt Olson's strong finish for the Braves saved his 2024 season
The second half got off to the roughest start as Matt earned a .172 average in July. However, he turned things around in August and September. Olson finished the season strong with a .264 average in August and a .319 average in September.
This was good enough for a .271/.366/.530 slash line with a .896 OPS through 67 games. Atlanta's first baseman excelled in almost every offensive metric outside of strikeout, whiff, and chase percentage. He excelled in xwOBA (.342), xSLG (.454), barrel % (12.4), hard-hit % (47.4), bat speed (73.8 mph), and walk % (10.4).
Have yourself a day, Matt Olson 👏
— MLB (@MLB) September 21, 2024
The @Braves are back in front. pic.twitter.com/ND01tsiEAn
Defensively, Olson had another fantastic year, as indicated by his 4 OAA and 13 DRS (the highest of his career and among all MLB first basemen). This success on defense earned Matt an award, as he was the 2024 recipient of the Fielding Bible Award for his position. He is also a Rawlings Gold Glove finalist.
While Olson's overall stat line appears disappointing, he doesn't deserve any of the criticism he's been receiving. It doesn't tell the whole story, and he saved his season with an explosion in the second half. This earned Matt Olson a grade of B+ for his performance during the 2024 season.
His performance should encourage fans, and this momentum should carry over into 2025, providing the Braves with another great season.