A hitter acquired by giving up a franchise star has hit 50 home runs. Matt Olson, 29, selected by the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Freddie Freeman (34-LA Dodgers), is proving why.
Olson hit his 49th and 50th home runs of the season in the fourth inning of the Braves’ 2023 Major League Baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., on Wednesday.메이저사이트
With runners on first and second in the third inning, Olson scooped up a four-pitch low and away curveball from Philadelphia right-hander Michael Lorenzen for a three-run homer over the right field wall. He then led off the sixth inning with a home run, again off Lorenzen. Working a full count, he drove a six-pitch changeup high and away over the left field fence. He arched over the fence to reach the 50-homer plateau for the season.
With his first career 50-homer game, Olson is one win away from his first home run crown. Increased his lead over National League (NL) home run leader Pete Alonso (New York Mets-43) to seven. More home runs in both major leagues, including American League (AL) leader Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels – 44).
The 50 homers are the second in Atlanta franchise history and first since Andrew Jones (51) in 2005. Olson needs just two more to pass Jones for the most home runs in a single season in franchise history.
“It was a great moment,” Olson said after the game, according to MLB.com. Philadelphia left fielder Kyle Schwarber caught the home run ball and I got to keep it from a fan. That was really cool. Hats off to Schwarber,” he said, thanking the opposing left fielder for the 50-homer ball.
Olson also leads the league in RBIs with 127 and is on pace to become the franchise’s all-time leader in that category. Eddie Mathews’ 135 RBIs in 1953 with the former Milwaukee Braves and Gary Sheffield’s 132 in 2003 with the Atlanta organization are not far behind.
Olson, who debuted with the Oakland Athletics in 2016, is a big left-handed first baseman who hit 142 home runs in six years until 2021. After hitting a career-high 39 homers in 2021, he was traded to Atlanta in March of last year and promptly signed an eight-year, $168 million extension with the A’s.
At the time, Atlanta was in free agency talks with franchise star first baseman Freddie Freeman, so they traded for Olson, who was five years younger, to change their starting first baseman. Freeman has been a free agent paragon for two straight years since joining the Dodgers, but Olson has been even better.
Last year, he batted 24-for-48 with 34 homers, 103 RBIs and an .802 OPS in 162 games, and this year, he’s having a career-high season, batting 27-for-152 with 50 homers, 127 RBIs and a 1.000 OPS in 144 games. Atlanta also leads the majors in winning percentage (.653) with a 94-50 record.