Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson stands alone.
Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson had large shoes to fill when he arrived in March of 2022. He replaced longtime first baseman and franchise legend Freddie Freeman, who left for the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency.
The Braves quickly pivoted to Olson, acquiring him from the then-Oakland Athletics and signing him to a massive eight-year, $168 million contract extension just one day after the trade was finalized.
It is safe to say Olson has been exactly as advertised. The 32-year-old left-handed slugger has earned a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove award across five seasons in Atlanta and will head to his third All-Star Game as a Brave this year.
The Braves currently sit at 54-38, in first place in the National League East, and Olson is a big reason why. Across 92 games this year, he has posted a .270 batting average, .342 on-base percentage, .888 OPS, 25 home runs and 58 RBIs.
Even though the Braves have lost Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals by a final score of 2-1, the moment the first pitch was delivered Olson stepped into his place in franchise history. Atlanta announced the monumental moment on social media.
"History made! Matt Olson now holds the Braves franchise record with 741 consecutive games played," the Braves wrote on X.
Olson's iron man streak began the moment he arrived in Atlanta in 2022. Since joining the organization, he has appeared in every game possible, playing through minor injury issues along the way.
It is something Olson has taken pride in throughout his entire 11-year career, having appeared in every possible game twice during his six-year stint with the Athletics as well.
The record he broke belongs to Dale Murphy, who held the franchise mark at 740 consecutive games. Olson tied Murphy's mark 40 years to the day on Thursday before breaking it Friday.
His streak also ranks ninth in MLB history overall, and he is currently on pace to pass St. Louis Cardinals legend Stan Musial this season.
Now that Olson holds the franchise record, the Braves may eventually need to have a conversation with him about rest if they find themselves with a playoff spot locked up in September.
But that is a conversation for another day. For now, Olson stands as the premier iron man of his generation in an era defined by load management, and that distinction says everything about who he is as a player.
