The batter who gave up the franchise star and brought it hit 50 home runs. Matt Olson (29), who the Atlanta Braves chose instead of Freddie Freeman (34, LA Dodgers), is proving why.
Olson started as the fourth batter and first baseman in an away game against the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2023 Major League Baseball at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 12th (Korea Standard Time) and exploded his 49th and 50th home runs of the season.
In the third inning with two outs and runners on first and second base, Olsen scooped up Philadelphia right-hander Michael Lorenzen’s fourth low curve and decorated it with a three-run home run over the right fence. He then came out as the leadoff hitter in the sixth inning and shot a home run to Lorenzen once again. In the full count match, he pushed the change-up, which entered the sixth pitch high, and crossed the left fence. He hit the 50-home run mark of the season with consecutive at-bats.
Olson, who reached the 50-home run mark for the first time in his career, is on the verge of becoming the first home run king. It widened the gap to seven with Pete Alonso (New York Mets, 43), the second-ranked player in the National League (NL) homelum. Including Shohei Ohtani (44), the No. 1 player in the American League (AL), he also has the most home runs in both leagues.토토사이트
The 50-home run is the second record in Atlanta’s history and the first since Andrew Jones (51) in 2005. If Olson adds only two more, he will set a record for the most home runs in a season in the club’s history beyond Jones.
According to “MLB.com ,” Olsen said after the game, “It was a wonderful moment. Philadelphia left fielder Kyle Schwaber got the ball from a fan who caught the home run ball. This is truly great. “I respect Schweaver,” he said, expressing his gratitude to the opposing left fielder Schweaver for taking care of the 50-home run ball.
In addition, Olson is also looking to break the club’s record by running first in this category with 127 RBIs. Eddie Matthews’ 135 RBIs in 1953 when he was with the Milwaukee Braves, and Gary Sheffield’s 132 RBIs in 2003 after moving to Atlanta were not far away.
Olson, who made his debut with the Oakland Athletics in 2016, hit 142 home runs in six years until 2021. He hit 39 home runs in 2021 and was traded to Atlanta in March last year. He immediately signed an eight-year, $168 million extension contract with Atlanta.
At the time, Atlanta was having difficulty in FA negotiations with first baseman Freddie Freeman, who was a franchise star, and brought in a 5-year-old young Olson as an alternative resource to change its main first baseman. Freeman has also been active as an FA model student for two consecutive years since his transfer to the Dodgers, but Olson’s performance is also excellent.
Last year, he batted .24148 with 34 home runs and 103 RBIs in 162 games, and this year, he is having a career-high season with a .279 batting average of .152, 50 home runs, 127 RBIs and OPS 1.000 in 144 games. Atlanta is also running at the top of the overall winning percentage (.653) in the Major League with 94 wins and 50 losses.