Matt Olson is having an incredible 2023 season and he is capping it off by putting himself into the Atlanta Braves record books. He hit his 41st and 42nd home runs this season. That tied, and then broke, the record for the most home runs by a left-handed batter in a single season by an Atlanta Brave.
42 HOME RUNS FOR MATT OLSON 😱 pic.twitter.com/nXL6bYVRTa
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) August 12, 2023
He is now the all time Atlanta Braves home run leader in a single season by a Georgia-born Brave and by a left handed hitter.
Through 115 games, and 516 plate appearances, Matt Olson is now hitting .269/.378/.614 with 42 HR, 90 R, 105 RBI, 1 SB, and a .410 wOBA & 158 wRC+. In his second season with his hometown Atlanta Braves, Olson is looking much more comfortable and like the guy that the Braves trusted to follow Freddie Freeman as the franchise's first baseman.
With his season, Olson is starting to insert himself into more MVP conversations. Of course, he will need to run down his fellow teammate, Ronald Acuña Jr, for the honor of Most Valuable Player in the National League.
With Olson's 42nd home run, he is now in sole possession of 15th all time in Braves franchise history for home runs in a single season. His next home run will move him into a tie for 13th with Davey Johnson (1973) and Javy Lopez (2003).
The next milestone though will be the home run record set by Andruw Jones back in 2005 when he hit 51 home runs. The only player in Braves franchise history to eclipse 50 home runs in a single season.
Matt Olson is currently on pace to break that record, but he is on pace to pass it easily with 59 HRs. If he stays hot, he might have a chance to be the first in Braves franchise history to surpass 60.
It has been a phenomenal all around season for the Braves first baseman. One that Matt Olson is capping off by rewriting Braves records.