Matt Olson on finding his groove at the plate

Matt Olson had two hits and drove in three runs in Tuesday’s 5-0 win by the Atlanta Braves over the New York Mets. One of those hits was a monstrous home run onto the top of the Chop House roof. Statcast tracked it at 109.3 mph off the bat and 443 feet and it was one of the more impressive shots that we have seen this season.

“Yeah that was a good one,” Olson said after the game. “Getting it up in the air pulll side. Hitting it well. It was a good one.”

Olson has been a steady contributor throughout his first season with the Braves. He has posted a wRC+ above league average every month and seems to be heating up as the team heads into the stretch run. Olson has four home runs in his last six games and has driven in nine runs during that span. He was a doubles machine early on this season, but as he has raised his launch angle, the home runs have started to come. As you can see below, Olson’s launch angle was well below league average to start the season. After a recent dip, it has started to climb again.

“I was hitting probably more long drives earlier in the season,” Olson said. “Wasn’t really able to to elevate stuff the way I had in the past. Those balls that I was hitting line drives on, I’m able to get up in the air a little bit right now. I feel like I’m getting to a better spot. I have been focusing on getting into my legs a little more and kind of staying grounded. I feel like it’s helped me to be able to adjust to some pitches.”

The Braves need Olson to be a run producer and he has done that. Having Ronald Acuña Jr. back and playing well will certainly give him plenty of opportunities. If he keeps getting the ball in the air, home runs like the one last night are going to become a more common occurrence