Braves 1B Matt Olson delivers Play of the Year candidate vs. Diamondbacks
Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson flashed his Gold Glove fielding abilities Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Diamondbacks led 3-1 over the Braves in the bottom of the 6th inning at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz.
With two runners in scoring position and one out, Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno hit a pop-up to foul territory near right field. Olson made an incredible sliding catch to get the out and threw the ball toward home plate before even getting back to his feet.
WHAT A PLAY BY MATT OLSON! pic.twitter.com/OjDaTfCKtT
— MLB (@MLB) July 9, 2024
The heads-up throw likely saved a run given that Diamondbacks’ Joc Pederson, the man on third, had tagged on the play. Pederson ran back to third base once Olson released the ball.
Braves reliever Grant Holmes was able to induce the third out four pitches later, allowing Atlanta to strand the two runners on base.
Over the past two days alone, Olson has made a couple of awesome plays to helped strengthen his case for a third Gold Glove. On Sunday, the 2-time All-Star made a mesmerizing behind-the-back grab against the Philadelphia Phillies that had the announcers baffled.
"What?!"
Matt Olson fields this ball behind his back! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/n7YcRVzCc4
— MLB (@MLB) July 7, 2024
After finishing fourth in NL MVP voting in 2023, Olson’s numbers at the plate have dropped considerably this season. He entered Monday’s contest batting .239 with 13 home runs and 42 RBIs across 88 games played.
Last season, Olson led the majors in home runs (54) and RBIs (139). But Olson clearly hasn’t let his down year at the plate impact his defense.
