Matt Olson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Matt Olson |
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Olson with the Atlanta Braves in 2022
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| Atlanta Braves – No. 28 | |||
| First baseman | |||
| Born: March 29, 1994 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 12, 2016, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
| MLB statistics (through July 18, 2025) |
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| Batting average | .255 | ||
| Hits | 1,080 | ||
| Home runs | 276 | ||
| Runs batted in | 775 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Matthew Kent Olson (born March 29, 1994) is a professional baseball player from the United States. He plays as a first baseman for the Atlanta Braves in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before joining the Braves, he played for the Oakland Athletics.
Matt Olson was chosen by the Athletics in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft. He made his first appearance in MLB in 2016. After playing six seasons with the Athletics, he was traded to the Braves before the 2022 season. He then signed a big eight-year contract. Olson has won several awards, including two Gold Glove Awards and a Silver Slugger Award. He was also an MLB All-Star in 2021, 2023, and 2025.
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Matt Olson's Early Life and Baseball Start
Matt Olson is the second son of Scott and Lee Olson. His dad, Scott, coached Matt and his brother, Zack, in youth baseball. Zack, Matt's older brother, later played baseball for Harvard.
Matt went to Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia. There, he played first base and pitched for the Parkview Panthers. He helped his team win state championships in 2011 and 2012. Matt had a great high school career, hitting for a .431 batting average. He also hit 45 home runs and had 168 runs batted in (RBIs). His uniform number, No. 21, was retired by Parkview High School in 2019.
After high school, Matt was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the first round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. He had planned to play college baseball at Vanderbilt University. However, he decided to sign with the Oakland Athletics instead.
Matt Olson's Professional Baseball Journey
Playing in the Minor Leagues
Matt Olson started his professional career in 2012 with the Arizona League Athletics. He also played for the Vermont Lake Monsters that year. In his first season, he played 50 games, hitting nine home runs and getting 45 RBIs.
In 2013, Olson played for the Beloit Snappers. He hit 23 home runs and had 93 RBIs in 134 games. The next year, 2014, he played with the Stockton Ports. He hit 37 home runs and had 97 RBIs in 138 games. He led all minor league players with a high walk percentage. In 2015, he played for the Midland RockHounds, hitting 17 home runs and 75 RBIs. He spent the entire 2016 minor league season with the Nashville Sounds.
Time with the Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics brought Matt Olson up to the major league team on September 12, 2016. He played in 11 games for them that year. In 2017, Olson split his time between Nashville and Oakland. He hit 23 home runs for Nashville and 24 home runs for Oakland. In September 2017, he hit 13 home runs, which was a record for a rookie.
In 2018, Olson played in all 162 games for Oakland. On April 18, he hit his first career walk-off hit, which means he got a hit that won the game. He hit his first walk-off home run on August 17. On September 26, he hit his first grand slam, which is a home run with all bases loaded. Olson finished 2018 with 29 home runs and 84 RBIs. He also won his first Gold Glove Award for his excellent defense at first base.
Olson played in Japan for the 2019 Opening Series. He had surgery on his right hand in March 2019 but returned to play in May. He continued to play well, hitting .267 with good power. He earned his second straight Gold Glove Award for his defense.
In 2020, which was a shorter season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Olson hit a walk-off grand slam on Opening Day. Even though he struggled with his batting average, he led the Oakland A's in home runs (14) and RBIs (42).
In 2021, Olson had a fantastic season. He led the team in games played (156), hits (153), home runs (39), and RBIs (111). He was chosen to play in the 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game and took part in the 2021 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby. Olson was also a finalist for the Silver Slugger Award and the Gold Glove Award.
Joining the Atlanta Braves
On March 14, 2022, the Athletics traded Olson to the Atlanta Braves. The next day, Olson signed a large 8-year contract worth $168 million with the Braves. This was the biggest contract in Braves team history at the time. Olson wears the number 28 jersey for the Braves. In 2022, he was one of only two players in Major League Baseball to play in all 162 games.
In 2023, Olson was again chosen as an All-Star for the 2023 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. On August 10, he hit his 40th home run of the season, setting a new Braves record for reaching 40 homers so quickly. On September 11, he hit his 50th home run, becoming only the second Braves player ever to join the 50 home run club. Olson then broke the Braves' single-season home run record. On September 28, he hit his 54th home run and set a new franchise record for RBIs in a season. After the 2023 season, Olson won the National League Silver Slugger Award for first basemen.
On April 19, 2025, Olson got his 1,000th career hit while playing against the Minnesota Twins. This was a big milestone in his career. He was also selected to the 2025 Major League Baseball All-Star Game roster as a reserve player.
Matt Olson's Personal Life
Matt Olson married his wife, Nicole, in November 2021. They live in Atlanta, Georgia. Their first son was born in December 2024.
Olson was the Atlanta Braves' nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award in 2023. This award recognizes players who are great on the field and also do good things in their community. He works with ReClif, a center that helps people on the autism spectrum with treatment and fitness.
See also
- Atlanta Braves award winners and league leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- Oakland Athletics award winners and league leaders
