Dave Holcomb
Olson addressed his team’s expectations compared to what the Braves players were saying before last year when he arrived a spring camp on Feb. 12.
“The confidence is still there,” Olson told reporters, via The Athletic’s David O’Brien. “We won’t be making any of those blanket statements.”
Going into last season, the Braves were coming off a pair of 100-win campaigns but also first-round exits in the playoffs. The Braves lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS during 2022 and 2023, which were Olson’s first two seasons with the club.
Injuries derailed the Braves’ campaign in 2024. But even before losing Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies, the team’s hitting stars weren’t repeating their 2023 production.
That was certainly true of Olson. He remained healthy for all of 2024 and played in every game. But he finished with an OPS more than 200 points lower than his 2023 OPS.
As a result, he had 25 fewer home runs and 42 fewer RBI in 2024 than 2023. Overall, Olson hit .247 with 29 home runs, 98 RBI, and 78 runs last year.
The drop off in production could hurt anyone’s confidence. But the good news for the Braves is the disappointments from 2024 could turn into a positive for the club this season.
Olson appears confident he can bounce back. There’s no reason to believe he shouldn’t, especially without the burden of repeating his career year from 2023.
The Braves will have to experience better injury luck in 2025 to win the NL East. But they still have the offensive pieces to be potent at the plate this summer.