Matt Olson has been battling the expectations game ever since the Atlanta Braves traded for him. The Braves opted to give Olson a lucrative extension after negotiations with a popular franchise icon, Freddie Freeman, went sideways. He made a real run at NL MVP in 2023 during Ronald Acuña Jr.'s insane season, but hasn't really approached that production since. Even when you look at Olson's performance this season, it feels like he can never do enough.
In a vacuum, having a first baseman who ranks third in all of MLB by fWAR amongst other first basemen would be cause for celebration. Olson hits for power (19 homers in 2025), is a very strong defender, and has stretches where he carries the offense singlehandedly. However, because of the expectations placed on the team, who he replaced, and the bar he set for himself, there are some Braves fans that refuse to embrace him.
However, despite the rollercoaster that has been Olson's season and tenure with the Braves, fans should still be thrilled to have him under contract for as long as they do.
Matt Olson isn't perfect, but Braves fans need to cut him more slack
There is no denying that Olson can be frustrating. If the home runs aren't coming, he can look helpless for stretches as the strikeouts pile up. Outside of that magical 2023 season, he has never been a guy that is going to hit for average and the amount of defensive impact that Olson can have at first base is going to forever be limited.
However, those who count themselves amongst Olson's doubters need some perspective. Despite his flaws, Olson has still be a huge bright spot for the Braves in 2025 and overall. Only Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Nick Kurtz rank higher, as of the morning of August 11, by fWAR at first base than Olson. Whether you look at fWAR or rWAR, Olson has been more valuable this season than Freddie Freeman. He may not be a MVP candidate this season or draw attention to himself in any way, but that isn't a standard we should be using.
Instead, we should be looking at the value Olson provides Atlanta. He is from the area which certainly is a marketing benefit and at $22 million a year through the 2029 season with club option, Olson doesn't even rank in the top 50 player salaries this season. For a guy that is essentially a lock to give the Braves 4+ WAR every season until proven otherwise, that is a steal in today's market.
Look, there are going to be those that will never forgive the Braves for letting Freeman leave and they will take their frustrations out on Olson at every available opportunity. Olson will also always be a bit streaky at the plate give his profile. However, despite his numbers looking a bit weird this season compared to the expectations placed upon him, Olson deserves more love for the player he is versus the player fans hope he will always be.