Braves’ Matt Olson Delivers Clear Message Upon Arriving at Spring Camp
After an offseason filled with departures for the Atlanta Braves and big additions for NL East rivals, not a lot of pundits appear to have major expectations for the Braves in 2025. But it sounds like first baseman Matt Olson is fine with that.
Olson addressed his team’s expectations compared to what the Braves players were saying before last year when he arrived a spring camp on Feb. 12.
The confidence is still there,” Olson told reporters, via The Athletic’s David O’Brien. “We won’t be making any of those blanket statements
Going into last season, the Braves were coming off a pair of 100-win campaigns but also first-round exits in the playoffs. The Braves lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS during 2022 and 2023, which were Olson’s first two seasons with the club.
Injuries derailed the Braves’ campaign in 2024. But even before losing Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies, the team’s hitting stars weren’t repeating their 2023 production.
That was certainly true of Olson. He remained healthy for all of 2024 and played in every game. But he finished with an OPS more than 200 points lower than his 2023 OPS.
As a result, he had 25 fewer home runs and 42 fewer RBI in 2024 than 2023. Overall, Olson hit .247 with 29 home runs, 98 RBI, and 78 runs last year.
The drop off in production could hurt anyone’s confidence. But the good news for the Braves is the disappointments from 2024 could turn into a positive for the club this season.
