While Vlad Will Be Crowned AL Starting 1B, Don’t Forget About Oly
Jun 29, 2021, 10:02 AM | Updated: 10:13 am
(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
A’s first baseman Matt Olson is having an MVP-type of start to the 2021 season
In a year that was strange for a variety of reasons, Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson had his worst–albeit, shortest as well–season of his career in 2020.
Following up a 2019 season that saw the Gold Glove Award winner hit .267 with 36 home runs and 91 RBI, Olson could not find his rhythm over the course of an abbreviated 60-game season.
2021 has been a different story.
Coming into play on June 29th, Olson is on pace to shatter his career-high’s in home runs, RBI, walks and hits through 74 games. His 20 home runs place him third in the American League and sixth in all of baseball, while his 53 RBI come in at sixth in the AL and seventh in the league.
Olson ranks top-three in the AL in slugging percentage (.585) and on base plus slugging percentage (.964) and top-10 in on base percentage (.382). His .296 batting average ranks 11th in the AL and is well above his career mark of .253.
While Olson has done everything that you could want out of a franchise player and more, the unbelievable start from Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has put the 22-year-old in the drivers seat to be in the American League’s starting lineup at first base during July 13th’s MLB All-Star game.
Through 76 games, Guerrero Jr. leads all of baseball in runs (94), home runs (26), RBI (66), on base percentage (.443), slugging percentage (.684), on base plus slugging percentage (1.112) and total bases (188).
Guerrero isn’t just the frontrunner to start the All-Star game–he’s also the frontrunner for American League MVP alongside Los Angeles Angels slugger-ace Shohei Ohtani.
Starters for the Midsummer Classic are expected to be announced in the coming days, and while it will be discouraging to not hear Olson’s name announced, do not fret, A’s fans.
Matt Olson is almost certainly going to get the call for his first-career All-Star selection.
With Oakland off to another strong start to the season and Olson slugging his way into the strongest start of his career, it would be a crime to leave him off of the reserves. Expect the Commissioner’s office and player choice ballots to give Olson his first taste of All-Star festivites.
It’s what Matty-O deserves.
