Braves slugger Matt Olson joins elite company with last homer

It iseasy to argue that Atlanta Bravesfirst baseman Matt Olson is one of the league's most underrated superstars. Perhaps this is due to the lack of postseason success during his tenure on Atlanta's roster, or simply due to there being little flashy about the infielder's game. However, it cannot be argued how impressive Olson has been during his tenure, consistently offering power numbers and playing an elite level of defense that covers up for a lot of infield mistakes or poor throws. This leads us to look at a fun stat pointed out in last weekend's seriesby Braves announcer CJ Nitkowski.

The announcer offered, "Matt Olson's 3R HR on a 3-0 count was the 7th 3-0 HR of his career. Tying him for 3rd most since 2000. (furthest back I can track)." This is an impressive accomplishment with the rest of the list including household names in Sammy Sosa, Albert Pujols, Manny Machado, Carlos Delgado, Justin Upton, and Jim Thome.

It is a list of Hall-of-Fame level talent that speaks to Olson's quiet accomplishments that the league has a whole unquestionably underrates. Olson has hit 29 homers or more every season of his career in Atlanta, and does this while carving his name on a historic durability list, not missing a single contest since joining the Braves, with his games-played streak dating back to his days in Oakland.

Braves First Baseman Matt Olson Continues to Quietly Pile up Impressive Accomplishments

Part of the reason why Olson remains outside the league's mainstream discussion is due to the fact that he isn't a flashy player. There aren't going to be highlights of clashes with pitchers or firing up his team on the field. There is an old-school approach to the way the infielder plays, and this contributes to making his accomplishments over the last five years a bit underrated.

For Braves fans, it is fair to accept a bit of culpability here as well, with Olson's early tenure garnering comparisons to franchise star Freddie Freeman. The current Los Angeles Dodger was beloved, making it clear why everything Olson did in his early days invited comparisons and questions about whether the Braves made the right decision.

It seems that this is something the fanbase has finally put into the past, accepting the greatness of Olson and embracing the franchise player. Whether it is a his gold glove level defense, or finding ways to provide pop at the plate in big moments, there is no question the first baseman has cemented himself among the league's elite.

Add us as a preferred source onGoogle

Follow