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Matt Olson usually hits two spots behind Drake Baldwin in the Atlanta Braves’ lineup, which means he is often at the top step of the dugout, about to walk into the on-deck circle, when Baldwin finishes an at-bat. Some of their most productive conversations occur in those brief moments of time.
The two exceptional left-handed hitters, seven years and nine big league seasons apart, will use it to communicate what the analytics don’t quite capture — where to pick the baseball up out of the hand, how certain pitches look as they approach home plate, what adjustments need to be made because of it.
“We obviously get pitched to a little bit differently because we have a little bit of different swings,” Baldwin stated. “But any information is good information.”
The Braves begin just their fourth homestand Tuesday — starting with a three-game series against the red-hot Chicago Cubs — and are already running away with the National League East, thanks in large part to an offense that has been the best in the sport. And Olson, a three-time All-Star on pace for his best season, and Baldwin, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, are leading the way.
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Olson, 32, has homered 14 times, driven in 36 runs, slashed .296/.377/.654 and produced a 178 wRC+, tied with Aaron Judge for the third-highest mark in the majors. Baldwin, 25, has hit 10 home runs and slashed .297/.383/.509 in his second year, prompting Olson to call him “one of the best bat-to-ball guys I’ve played with.”
“It’s not soft bat-to-ball, either,” Olson stated. “He’s putting it on the barrel it feels like every at-bat.”
Baldwin ranks within the top 15% in the sport in hard-hit rate while also leading the majors with 17 hits on pitches outside the strike zone. He’s also doing things uncommon for his profile. Like being a left-handed hitter who has OPS’d .965 against left-handed pitching. Or being a second-year player who has slugged .410 on two-strike counts, 133 points above the major league average.
Braves officials have been struck by the strides Baldwin has made as a catcher, particularly his work with pitchers, but are unsurprised by his production on offense. It was expected when they drafted him, proved as he surged through every minor league level and validated as he continually made adjustments to excel as a rookie.
“This is just a continuation of what he did last year,” Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos stated. “It’s expected, to be honest with you.”
His team’s dominance, however, might not have been.
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The Braves’ streak of seven consecutive playoff appearances ended in a brutal 2025 season that began with an 0-7 record and hit rock bottom with an 8-17 July. The start of this year was just as calamitous. Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim slipped on ice and broke a finger in January, left fielder Jurickson Profar was handed a 162-game suspension in March for a second PED violation, and four starting pitchers — Spencer Strider, Hurston Waldrep, Spencer Schwellenbach and Joey Wentz — suffered injuries ahead of the regular season.
Still, FanGraphs gave the Braves a 36% chance to win the division on Opening Day. The Braves then won 25 of their first 35 games, their best start since the 19th century. All told, they’ve lost only one of their 13 series. And now, with the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies foundering, and the Braves’ lead in the NL East at nine games, FanGraphs has those odds at 85.7%.
A lot has gone into that. Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II have bounced back from down years. Chris Sale, 37, continues to look like one of the game’s best pitchers. Bryce Elder has elevated to another level. The bullpen trio of Dylan Lee, Robert Suarez and Raisel Iglesias has been practically unhittable. Less-heralded players such as Mauricio Dubon, Dominic Smith and Martin Perez have stepped up. Meanwhile, Baldwin has been a constant source of quality at-bats at the top of the lineup, one that paces the sport in runs and OPS, and Olson has been a major presence behind him.
Braves first-year manager Walt Weiss served as the team’s bench coach when Olson hit a major league-leading 54 home runs in 2023. But Weiss believes Olson is “swinging the bat even better now,” noting his batting average — 13 points higher than his previous career high — and the way he seems to be driving pitches with authority to the opposite field.
A small tweak has helped. Olson often has a tendency of leaning back when his front foot hits the ground, throwing off his bat path and sapping some of his power. Mike Trout had a similar issue, prompting him to incorporate a step back into his load. Olson has fixed it with mental cues. He needs to feel as if he’s falling forward, so he’ll visualize dropping his front shoulder or crunching his right rib cage before starting his swing. As Olson stated: “I’m just playing for a tie.”
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Olson is just the sixth player to accumulate at least 28 extra-base hits, score 35 runs and tally 33 RBIs through his first 37 games of a season, joining Nap Lajoie (1901), Lou Gehrig (1927), Babe Ruth (1928), Willie Mays (1965) and Lance Berkman (2008). Before Olson, only eight players had ever led the majors in doubles, runs and RBIs at any point in May, according to research by the Elias Sports Bureau. This month also saw him crank his 300th career home run, sparking conversation about whether 500 is possible and, if so, whether a Hall of Fame induction could follow.
Olson, about as unassuming as anyone of his stature, stated he thought about it for “maybe a second.”
“I think it’s natural to think about it, but I don’t think it’s gonna do any good,” he added. “I’ve always been just kind of a put your head down and start walking and when you pick your head up, see where you’re at. It’s great. But I just don’t really care. I want to win with some good teammates, have some fun, and win a World Series.”
With Kim back from the injured list, Ronald Acuna Jr. not far away and Strider looking sharp, the Braves — coming off a series win over the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers — look like legitimate World Series contenders.
The Braves have won a major league-best 28 games, and Baldwin has scored at least once in 21 one of them — a testament to both his on-base ability and Olson’s prowess behind him. Their convergence was set in motion four years ago. In March of 2022, when Anthopoulos felt uneasy about the prospects of re-signing Freddie Freeman, he jumped at the opportunity to land another first baseman, acquiring Olson from the Athletics for a prospect-laden package headlined by then 24-year-old catcher Shea Langeliers. Nine months later, the Braves dealt another young, promising catcher in William Contreras as part of a three-team trade.
Langeliers and Contreras have evolved into two of the game’s best behind the plate, but their departures helped give Baldwin a path — from third-round draft pick to swapping intel on pitchers with Olson.
“He just puts as many good swings on the ball as anyone I’ve ever seen,” Baldwin stated of his teammate. “I’m still trying to learn how to do that.”
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