Matt Olson’s Slump: What’s Going Wrong for the Braves’ Star First Baseman?
Matt Olson, the Atlanta Braves’ star first baseman, is struggling at the plate, and fans are getting worried. After a stellar start to the season, Olson’s batting average has plummeted, and his usual power hitting has been nowhere to be found.
Olson’s stats tell the story. In his first 20 games, he hit .340 with 5 home runs and 15 RBIs. But in his last 20 games, he’s hitting just .180 with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs. His slugging percentage has dropped from .600 to .300, and his OPS has plummeted from 1.000 to .600.
So, what’s going wrong for Olson? Is it a slump, or is something more serious amiss? The Braves’ coaching staff is working overtime to help their star player get back on track.
“We’re working on his swing, trying to get him to stay back and use his legs more,” said Braves hitting coach, Kevin Seitzer. “He’s got a tendency to get out front and lose his balance, which is causing him to roll over on the ball and hit weak grounders.”
Olson himself is frustrated but trying to stay positive. “I know I’m a better hitter than this,” he said. “I just need to relax and trust my swing. I’m working hard every day to get it back.”
The Braves need Olson to get it back, too. Without his power hitting, their lineup is struggling to score runs. And with the NL East race heating up, they can’t afford to have their star player struggling for much longer.
