Is Matt Olson having the best season ever by a Braves first baseman?
Matt Olson has been making Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos look very good this season. His decision to part with former Braves first baseman and franchise player Freddie Freeman and move on with Olson attracted a lot of scrutiny at the time, but it is looking good at this point.
Olson has been on another level this season. He leads the MLB in home runs and RBI with 42 and 105 respectively. Additionally, he is slashing .270/.379/.614.
While Olson's numbers are impressive, it is hard to consider the season he is having as the best ever from a Braves first baseman.
In 1971, Hank Aaron added another impressive chapter to his storied career.
In the 18th season of his career, Aaron slashed .327/.410/.669. He hit 47 home runs which was the second-most in the league and the most ever hit by a player older than 37.
Aaron was the National League's leader in slugging percentage, OPS and OPS+. He finished third in NL MVP voting which was the seventh top-three finish of his career.
While Olson is likely going to pass Aaron in home runs and RBI, it is unlikely he will catch him in batting average, on-base percentage or slugging percentage.
Home runs are an important part of today's game and even though Aaron hit no shortage of them, Olson will have the single-season advantage there.
Overall, however, Olson's 2023 season likely will not top the season Aaron put together in 1971.
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