The Atlanta Braves had a disappointing 2025 season, but it wasn’t Matt Olson’s fault. The 31-year-old first baseman led the team with a .272 batting average, 29 homers, 95 RBIs, .366 OBP and a 6.1 WAR.
Olson also played all 162 games for the fourth straight year, which spans his entire Braves tenure. The team acquired the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder from the Athletics on March 14, 2022 and signed him to an eight-year, $168 million extension the day after, per Spotrac.
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Additionally, Olson finished second on the squad with an .850 OPS. Fellow star Ronald Acuna Jr. was first at .935, but he only played 95 games due to injury.
On top of that, Atlanta announced an honor that Olson received on Sunday, via its social media.
“Congratulations to Matt Olson on bringing home his third career Gold Glove Award!” the club wrote.
Olson had a .996 fielding percentage and just five errors on 1,297 total chances. The veteran also had 145 assists and helped turn 96 double plays.
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This is the first time Olson has won the Gold Glove Award while playing with the Braves, as he last received it in 2018 and 2019.
How Can Braves Get Back to Winning Ways?
Atlanta finished 76-86 this season, its first losing campaign since 2017. It made the playoffs each year from 2018-2024 and won the 2021 World Series, so finishing five games under .500 is not the standard the organization has set recently.
The Braves must improve their pitching staff in order to bounce back in 2026, as they finished 22nd in baseball with a 4.36 team ERA this year, per MLB.com. Conversely, they were 13th with a .719 OPS, proving that offense wasn’t the primary issue.
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Although ace Chris Sale finished with a 2.58 ERA in 21 appearances (20 starts), No. 2 pitcher Spencer Strider had a 4.45 mark in 23 starts. Additionally, fellow starter Bryce Elder had a 5.30 ERA in 28 starts, and southpaw Joey Wentz had a 5.60 mark in 14 outings (13 starts).
It would behoove Atlanta to offer contracts to upcoming unrestricted free-agent hurlers such as Framber Valdez or Dylan Cease. Valdez has a 3.36 career ERA over eight seasons with the Houston Astros, while Cease has a 3.88 mark over seven combined campaigns with the Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres.
MLB free agency officially begins on Thursday, per CBS Sports.
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Related: Braves’ Matt Olson News Emerges Amid MLB Offseason
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 3, 2025, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
