Award season is upon us, and the Atlanta Braves have already secured some hardware. It stinks not to see the team in the playoffs, but there were some great performances shown to fans this season. Matt Olson was unsurprisingly among the players who gave fans something to cheer about. His time at the plate was inconsistent at times, but he still put up respectable numbers.
Atlanta's first baseman had a .251/.321/.502 slash line, with 34 doubles, 41 home runs, 93 RBI, and a 122 wRC+. Those are great numbers, but he disappeared in the postseason, which was tough to watch. The offense is one aspect of Olson's impressive game, but his defense remained elite in 2026. His impressive fielding work led to his first award of the season. Olson was awarded a Fielding Bible Award to recognize him as the best defensive first baseman in baseball.
The Fielding Bible Awards are handed out each season to one player at each of the nine positions as the top fielder in MLB at that position. They also award one "multi-position" player, one overall Defensive Player of the Year, and a Defensive Team of the Year. Recipients are voted on by a panel of experts based on a combination of stats, the eye test, and any other factors the voters choose to consider.
Congratulations to Matt Olson on winning his 6th Fielding Bible Award 👏 pic.twitter.com/I6nK3lbE0a
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 22, 2026
Matt Olson's latest defensive honor a reminder of his underrated skill set
Olson was in a tight race with Padres first baseman Ty France this season. However, his incredible OAA and FRV set him apart. He finished the season with an 11 outs above average (OAA) and 12 fielding run value (FRV). Those numbers were both the best in baseball among all first basemen. France edged out Olson in defensive runs saved (DRS), with 15 DRS compared to Olson's 11 DRS.
This win was Olson's sixth Fielding Bible Award at first base, which surpassed Albert Pujols for the most wins at the position. Atlanta's lefty slugger is now tied with Yadier Molina and Andrelton Simmons for the second-most all-time wins among all positions. Olson only trails Mookie Betts, who has seven wins, for the most Fielding Bible Awards.
It likely won't be the last award for Olson, who is also nominated for a Gold Glove Award this season. He continues to be a wonderful addition for the Braves.
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