Although the Atlanta Braves season didn’t end how they had hoped, there are still plenty of positives to take from the campaign, which resulted in winning the NL East, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB playoffs, and winning 90+ games.
One of the biggest bright spots for the 2026 Braves was Matt Olson, who is the current-day Iron Man in MLB, as he played in all 162 games with exceptional power and a strong display of defense.
On Wednesday, October 14, Major League Baseball announced a piece of Matt Olson news, which highlights his dominance at first base.
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Braves’ Matt Olson Named First Base Gold Glove Finalist
In an unsurprising development, Atlanta Braves infielder Matt Olson has been named a Gold Glove Finalist for the NL.
@RawlingSports announces the news via X.com:
The other finalists are Ty France and TJ Rumfield.
It would borderline shock me if Matt Olson doesn’t end up winning this Gold Glove.
Olson is a 3X GG Award winner, and he captured MLB’s most illustrious defensive award in 2025.
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A Few Stats on Matt Olson’s Defense
In 2026, Matt Olson made just 8 errors across 1,311 total chances, which gives him a fielding percentage of .994.
According to BaseballSavant.com, Matt Olson had a +12 Fielding Run Value (95th percentile), and +12 Outs Above Average (97th percentile).
Olson also remains atop the fielding leaderboard for first basemen in terms of Outs Above Average, which is a testament to how good a first baseman is at stretching for the ball to record extra outs.
The winners of the Gold Glove Award are set to be unveiled on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 1.
It’s pretty remarkable that Matt Olson is able to take the field every day in its own right, but then also turn in exceptional defense as well.
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MLB Announces Major Braves’ Matt Olson News