Matt Olson Bio
Matthew Kent Olson is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft, he debuted in the majors in 2016 and spent six seasons in Oakland before being traded to Atlanta prior to the 2022 season. Olson is a three-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, and a Silver Slugger Award recipient who led the major leagues in home runs and RBIs in 2023.
Early Life and Background
Matthew Kent Olson was born on March 29, 1994, in Lilburn, Georgia, the second son of Scott and Lee Olson. His father Scott served as his sons’ youth baseball coach until high school, shaping much of Matt’s early development on the field. Olson grew up alongside an older brother, Zack, who later pitched for the Harvard Crimson.
Olson attended Parkview High School in Lilburn, where he played first base and pitched for the Parkview Panthers, leading the program to back-to-back state championships in 2011 and 2012. He finished his high school career with a .431 batting average, 44 doubles, 45 home runs, 168 runs batted in (RBIs), and a fielding percentage over 0.980. Olson holds the Parkview High School and Gwinnett County records for career wins and RBIs, and his uniform number, No. 21, was retired by the school in February 2019.
After graduating from high school with honors in 2012, Olson was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft. He had committed to play college baseball at Vanderbilt University but chose to forgo that commitment and sign with Oakland.
Path to Major League Baseball
Olson made his professional debut in 2012 with the Arizona League Athletics and the Vermont Lake Monsters, playing 50 games and hitting .282/.352/.521 with nine home runs and 45 RBIs. In 2013 he joined the Beloit Snappers, where he appeared in 134 games and slugged 23 home runs despite a .225 batting average. He moved to the Stockton Ports in 2014, batting .262/.404/.543 with 37 home runs and 97 RBIs in 138 games, and he led all minor leaguers with 500 or more plate appearances with a walk percentage of 18.5 percent.
Olson spent 2015 with the Midland RockHounds, hitting .249 with 17 home runs and 75 RBIs in 133 games, before joining the Nashville Sounds for the entire 2016 minor league season, where he batted .235 with 17 home runs and 60 RBIs in 131 games. The Oakland Athletics purchased his contract on September 12, 2016, calling him up to the major league club and setting the stage for his MLB debut.
Matt Olson Career
Oakland Athletics Era (2016–2021)
Olson played 11 games for Oakland after his 2016 call-up and returned in 2017, splitting time between Nashville and Oakland. In 79 games for Nashville he batted .272 with 23 home runs and 60 RBIs, and in 59 games for Oakland he hit .259 with 24 home runs and 45 RBIs, including a September stretch in which he hit 13 home runs to set a franchise rookie record.
In 2018 Olson played all 162 games for Oakland, opening with his first career walk-off, an RBI single in a 12–11 comeback win over the Chicago White Sox on April 18, and later hitting his first walk-off home run against the Houston Astros on August 17. He finished 2018 with a .247 average, 29 home runs, and 84 RBIs, and he won his first Gold Glove Award by leading all American League first basemen with 14 defensive runs saved. Olson played in both games of the 2019 Opening Series in Tokyo before undergoing hamate bone surgery in March, returning to action in May, and he earned a second consecutive Gold Glove Award while batting .267/.351/.545.
The COVID-19-shortened 2020 season saw Olson hit the first Opening Day walk-off grand slam since 1986, though he finished the year batting .195 while still leading Oakland with 60 games played, 14 home runs, and 42 RBIs. In 2021 he led the team with 156 games, 153 hits, 39 home runs, 111 RBIs, and 88 walks, was selected to the 2021 MLB All-Star Game to represent the American League, and participated in the 2021 Home Run Derby. He was a finalist for both the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards that season.
Atlanta Braves Era (2022–Present)
On March 14, 2022, the Athletics traded Matt Olson to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Cristian Pache, Shea Langeliers, Joey Estes, and Ryan Cusick. The next day he signed an eight-year contract extension worth $168 million, at the time the largest contract in franchise history, surpassing the eight-year, $135 million deal Freddie Freeman signed in 2014. Olson appeared in all 162 games of the 2022 season, one of only two MLB players to do so that year alongside teammate Dansby Swanson.
At the 2023 midseason Olson was again nominated as a National League reserve for the All-Star Game. On August 10, 2023, he hit his 40th home run of the season, setting a franchise record for the quickest 40-homer season, and on September 11 he became the second member of the Braves’ 50 home run club, joining Andruw Jones. Olson then tied and surpassed Jones’s franchise single-season home run record on September 12 and 16, respectively, before hitting his 54th home run on September 28 to set the live-ball era franchise single-season record for runs batted in, surpassing Eddie Mathews. He was named the National League Silver Slugger Award winner at first base after the 2023 campaign.
On April 19, 2025, Olson recorded his 1,000th career hit against the Minnesota Twins and was named a National League reserve for the 2025 All-Star Game. On September 27, 2025, during the penultimate game of the regular season, he was ejected for the first time in his career after arguing a batter interference call. At the end of the 2025 season, Olson won his first National League Gold Glove Award and his third Gold Glove Award overall.
Driving Style and Strengths
Olson is widely regarded as one of the most disciplined power hitters in baseball, pairing a patient plate approach with high-end exit velocity and the ability to drive the ball to all fields. Defensively he has built his reputation on elite first-base footwork and glove work, producing some of the top Defensive Runs Saved totals at his position and anchoring infield shifts with reliable scoops. That blend of on-base skill, plus raw power, and defensive consistency is the foundation of his value to the Atlanta Braves lineup.
Notable Events and Milestones
Olson’s signature stretch came in 2023, when he set a franchise record for the quickest 40-homer season, became the second Brave to reach 50 home runs, broke Andruw Jones’s single-season home run record, and set the franchise’s live-ball era RBI record. Earlier career milestones include his first career walk-off in 2018, his first walk-off home run later that season, the first Opening Day walk-off grand slam since 1986 in 2020, and his 1,000th career hit in 2025.
Matt Olson Career Wins
Olson’s win totals have been shaped more by run production and defensive reliability than by pitching victories, so his career-win summary focuses on individual awards, records, and selection honors across both the American League and National League.
MLB Highlights
Olson is a three-time MLB All-Star, selected in 2021, 2023, and 2025, and a three-time Gold Glove Award winner at first base in 2018, 2019, and 2025, the last coming in the National League after his first two with Oakland. He earned a Silver Slugger Award in 2023 after leading the majors in home runs and RBIs, and he has been recognized as a four-time Fielding Bible Award winner for his defensive excellence at first base.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his major-league hardware, Olson was a 2023 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award with the Atlanta Braves, recognizing his character and community involvement, including his support for ReClif, a treatment and fitness center for people on the autism spectrum. He was also a Silver Slugger finalist and Gold Glove finalist in 2021.
Matt Olson Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Olson is the second son of Scott and Lee Olson, and his father Scott served as his youth baseball coach through his pre-high school years. His older brother, Zack Olson, later pitched for the Harvard Crimson, continuing the family’s strong connection to competitive baseball.
Personal Life
Olson married his wife Nicole in November 2021, and the couple resides in Atlanta, Georgia. Their eldest son was born in December 2024.
2025 Season Performance
Olson entered the 2025 campaign as a key middle-of-the-order presence for the Atlanta Braves, building on his record-setting 2023 season and looking to re-establish his All-Star form. He reached his 1,000th career hit on April 19 against the Minnesota Twins, underscoring both his durability and his long-term consistency at the plate. His steady bat and first-base defense helped anchor the Braves throughout the regular season.
Olson was selected to the 2025 All-Star Game as a National League reserve, his third career Midsummer Classic appearance, and he remained a focal point of Atlanta’s offense in the second half. In the penultimate game of the regular season on September 27, 2025, he was ejected for the first time in his career after arguing a batter interference call, a moment that reflected his competitive edge late in a long season.
At season’s end, Olson was named a Gold Glove Award winner at first base, his first in the National League and third overall, adding another major defensive honor to his résumé. With his power bat, plate discipline, and elite defense, Olson is firmly established as a cornerstone of the Atlanta Braves’ roster heading into the next phase of his eight-year contract.