Fastball

Atlanta Braves' Slugger Hits Huge Personal Milestone in Sunday's Game

Though the Atlanta Braves lost on Sunday, it wasn't all bad as Atlanta Braves' slugger Matt Olson hit a huge personal milestone that deserves to be recognized.

Brady Farkas

May 14, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson (28) watches his fly ball.
May 14, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson (28) watches his fly ball. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
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The Atlanta Braves were beaten by the San Diego Padres on Sunday night, 9-1, in a lopsided affair.

Though the Braves flopped in front of a national television audience, it wasn't all bad as slugger Matt Olson hit a special personal milestone by playing in his 500th consecutive game. That is the longest streak in baseball currently.

Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com:

Matt Olson has played 500 consecutive games, dating to 5/2/21

only longer streaks since 2000:

2000-07 Miguel Tejada: 1,152
2018-22 Whit Merrifield: 553
2010-14 Prince Fielder: 547
2000-03 Alex Rodriguez: 546
2003-06 Hideki Matsui: 518
2004-07 Mark Teixeira: 507

h/t @EliasSports

Five-hundred straight games is a long way from the all-time record of 2,632 held by Cal Ripken Jr. but it's still an incredible accomplishment in today's game. First and foremost, it's special that Olson has been able to stay healthy enough to play every game for two-plus seasons. He played 156 games in 2021, starting his streak that year, and then has played every game since.

Furthermore, in today's era of player management and "load management" it's special that Olson has even been given the chance to play that many games in a row. Usually, teams will dictate that players sit in order to stay fresh, but Olson has been able to buck that trend.

The 30-year-old Olson is in the ninth year of his career with the Oakland Athletics and Braves. He's hitting .222 this season with five homers and 23 RBI but he led the league in home runs last season with 54.

He's a two-time All-Star.

The Braves will play the Padres again on Monday night.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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