Ever since the Atlanta Braves made the shocking decision to acquire Matt Olson in March of 2022, there has been a raging debate over the decision that allowed Freddie Freeman to return home and sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
For four seasons, there was plenty of criticism, whether it was fans criticizing the front office for not re-signing Olson, or fans simply criticizing Olson because he wasn't Freeman. It got to a point where Freddie Freeman himself said that the endless comparisons between the two were dumb.
However, in year five, the story seems to have finally flipped, and it finally looks like the Braves first baseman will outlast the Dodgers first baseman.
Matt Olson wins the first baseman debate over Freddie Freeman
From 2022 through 2025, the best first basemen in baseball were undoubtably Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson, although some fans didn't seem to feel that way. Over the course of four seasons, Freeman put up 22.2 fWAR, while Olson put up 17.1 fWAR. No other first baseman over the course of this span put up more than 14.7 fWAR.
Freeman, of course, was the better first baseman. The former Braves cornerstone made the All-Star team each of his first five years and finished top-five in MVP voting. For Braves fans, this was understandably hard to stomach, especially since the player they once believed would followed Hall of Famer Chipper Jones's lead was now playing on one of the most hated teams in baseball.
Olson, to his credit, has made it a lot easier to stomach. In his first four years as the Braves first baseman, he's made the All-Star Game twice, won a Silver Slugger, a Gold Glove, and finished fourth in the 2023 NL MVP voting.
Even with such stellar play, it was hard to avoid parts of Braves internet that complained simply because he was not him.
In 2026, things have been different. Even after a series where Freeman hit a homer against the Braves, there was hardly a peep about Olson being Alex Anthopoloulos's biggest mistake. Through the end of the series in L.A, Olson has been the best first baseman, and it hasn't been particularly close, especially in the National League.
Olson has the most fWAR out of any first baseman, the second-highest slugging percentage, just behind Ben Rice, and the second-most homers, behind Munetaka Murakami. His defense has also been unsurprisingly stellar, as he's tied for first in DRS among first baseman, and ranks second in OAA.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the 37-year-old Freeman has taken a step back. His .772 OPS would be the lowest OPS of his career, aside from his 2010 cup of coffee. Versus Atlanta, Freeman went 1-10, with his lone hit being that homer in the first game of the series, Aside from that and a walk on Sunday, he was completely neutralized. Olson, by his standards, had a relatively quiet weekend versus LA, but still managed to homer, and have two hits on Saturday. Olson also picked up his first stolen base of the season.
Freeman is in the fifth year of his six-year deal, and while he's publicly stated he wants to retire as a Dodger, his regression this year might cause the Dodgers to balk at giving him an extension, even with their unlimited resources.
Meanwhile, Olson is in the middle of putting together a campaign worthy of MVP discussion, and Braves fans are thankful that the 32-year-old still has at least three more relatively inexpensive years in a Braves uniform to go.
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