Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson is off to a historic start in 2026, and he's doing it by rewriting the record books alongside some of baseball's all-time greats. Through the first 40 games of the season, the 32-year-old slugger has posted numbers that put him in rarefied air with Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, and Tris Speaker.
Olson has been the engine driving the Braves' MLB-best 28-13 record, leading the league's top-ranked lineup in home runs (14), RBI (36), runs scored (36), doubles (15), and walks (22). Remarkably, he's only the fourth player in the live-ball era to achieve these marks through 40 games—matching the iconic starts of Cleveland's Tris Speaker in 1920, the Yankees' Babe Ruth in 1923, and Mickey Mantle in 1956.
But Olson's impact goes beyond just power numbers. On Saturday, hours after the Braves organization mourned the passing of legendary manager Bobby Cox, Olson joined another exclusive club: he played in his 822nd consecutive MLB game, cracking the top 10 all-time for consecutive games played. The next day, he surpassed Gus Suhr to claim sole possession of 10th place on that ironman list.
That's a streak dating back to May 2, 2021, when Olson was still with the Oakland Athletics. He hasn't missed a game since, proving durability is just as important as dingers.
Perhaps most impressive is how Olson continues to evolve as a veteran. After striking out a career-high 176 times last season, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound first baseman decided to reinvent himself. Instead of trying to muscle every pitch out of the park, he focused on becoming a more complete contact hitter. The results have been striking: his contact rate has climbed to 79 percent, while his swinging-strike rate has dropped to nine percent.
It's a reminder that even established stars can keep growing. Olson, who hit his 300th career home run earlier this season, is proving that the best players are always looking for ways to get better. The Braves host the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs at Truist Park this Tuesday, and fans will be watching to see if Olson can keep this historic pace going.