The Homer Leader from the previous season, Matt Olson, Made a Big Adjustment This Offseason.
Matt Olson discusses his latest strategy at the plate. Since joining the Atlanta Braves in 2022, Matt Olson has grown to be one of the league’s most dangerous sluggers. He led the league in home runs last season, which helped him finish fourth in the race for the National League MVP award behind Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and fellow teammate Ronald Acuña Jr. Olson has been a dominant player for the Braves.
Olson has recently adjusted his batting stance in an effort to become a more balanced hitter and to let his legs play a bigger role. Big leaguers should adapt their games during spring training, but Olson has not yet seen results from his new strategy as he is having his worst spring since 2019. He concluded that spring training as a member of the Oakland A’s organization with a hitting average of.129. In the same season, Olson hit.267 with an OPS of.896, piled up 36 home runs and 91 RBIs, proving his spring training numbers were nothing to be alarmed about.
Olson has only hit.192 with an OPS of.669 and only one home run, so some fans may be viewing his current spring training with some anxiety. Over the years, Olson has changed his swing to resemble that of well-known left-handed hitters like Chipper Jones and Ken Griffey Jr., though he did admit this to MLB.com’s Steven Kornacki. Olson was a young left-handed hitter with the A’s when he first joined the team at age 25.
Braves manager Brian Snitker discussed with Olson, who is going through a difficult time right now, the possibility of taking a step back and missing a few games, but the veteran first baseman turned it down and wanted to play. Olson continued by praising Marcus Semien, his former teammate with the A’s, for his work ethic and for teaching Olson how to conduct himself in the major leagues. Based on Olson’s previous spring training setbacks, if the adage “history repeats itself” holds true, the current home run leader ought to be able to get things together in time for the Braves’ trip to Philadelphia to play the Phillies in less than two weeks.
