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Matt Olson reaches personal milestone on Wednesday

By David Hill

Sep 12, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson (28) hits a home run during the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson (28) hits a home run during the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports /
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Matt Olson had played in relative anonymity before this year. While Oakland A’s fans knew that Olson was a potential star in the making, his solid play had gone relatively unnoticed outside of the Bay Area. He has been a solid power hitter and excellent defensive first baseman, but was often lost amongst other stars at the position.

That has not been the case this season. Olson is having a breakout campaign, having been named to his first All Star Game and participated in the Home Run Derby. His performance is forcing fans to notice what type of a player he has been, both this season and over his career.

Matt Olson reaches milestone on Wednesday

Although the A’s have been disappointing over the past few weeks, Olson has given the fanbase a reason to watch. He had been chasing down the 100 RBI mark, potentially reaching that plateau for the first time in his career. With 99 RBI entering Wednesday’s game against the Royals, it was a matter of time before he reached that milestone.

That moment happened in the fourth inning of Wednesday’s game. With Elvis Andrus on third and two out in the top of the fourth inning, Olson sent Carlos Hernandez‘s 2-2 fastball to left for a two run homer. As Andrus crossed the plate, Olson had finally gotten that 100th RBI.

With that swing of the bat, Olson continued to move closer to other personal bests. Not only has he set a career high in RBI and runs scored, he is one away from tying his career best mark in homers and doubles. His 151 OPS+ entering Wednesday’s action is easily his best mark in any of his full major league seasons.

This is also exactly what the A’s need. While Matt Chapman has not been the player he was since before the pandemic shortened season and his hip surgery, Olson needed to shoulder more of the offensive load. He has thrived with that added responsibility, becoming one of the key members of the lineup.

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Matt Olson reached a personal milestone by collecting his 100th RBI on Wednesday. His career best season is not close to being over.