The Atlanta Braves missed out on the MLB playoffs for the first time since 2017 this year. Despite the team’s underperformance, first baseman Matt Olson continued to impress in his fourth season with the Braves.
The 31-year-old slugger earned his third career All-Star selection and appeared in all 162 games for the fourth consecutive year. Olson has not missed a game for Atlanta and remains the most reliable player in MLB. In 2025, Olson posted a .272 batting average, .366 on-base percentage, .850 OPS, 29 home runs and 95 RBIs. Olson also smashed 41 doubles, which led the entire National League. Olson will remain under contract for four more seasons after signing an eight-year, $168 million extension in 2022.
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Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson.Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
As Olson continues to dominate on the field, he received exciting news in the midst of Atlanta’s offseason. Rawlings Baseball announced the Gold Glove Award finalists for the 2025 season, and Olson was chosen as one of three finalists in the NL for first base. Atlanta congratulated Olson for his defensive efforts on X.
The team wrote, “Congratulations to @mattolson21 on being named a @RawlingsSports Gold Glove Award finalist!” If Olson takes home the award, it would mark the third time in his 10-year career. Olson previously won the award in back-to-back seasons from 2018–2019 with the then-Oakland Athletics, yet he has never taken it home with the Braves.
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Olson has made a strong case for earning another Gold Glove this season. The first baseman has built a reputation as one of the game’s best fielders, making him one of the league’s most complete players. According to Statcast’s Baseball Savant, Olson graded out with 9 Outs Above Average, a metric that evaluates how many outs a defender saved compared to league average. He also posted a fielding run value of 8, which measures the overall impact of a player’s defense in terms of run prevention. These advanced metrics reinforce what the eye test has long suggested: Olson is an elite presence at first base, capable of saving runs with his range, instincts and consistency.
As Atlanta heads into an offseason filled with roster decisions and a search for a new manager, Olson remains a steady piece the organization can count on. His defensive reliability and overall consistency make him one of the few pieces the Braves will not need to second-guess as they reshape the team for 2026.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.