Over the House

Over the House

Around age four, Matt Olson joined his older brother Zack and friends for Wiffle ball in the front yard of their two-story home in Lilburn, Georgia, and hit a ball clear over the house. The older boys ran inside shouting the news to their father, Scott. Olson was born in Atlanta and grew up in Lilburn. On May 4, 2026, he hit his 300th career home run for the Braves.

Scott Olson coached both sons in youth baseball, stacking trash cans as throwing targets from the outfield at local parks. Zack went on to pitch for the Harvard Crimson. Matt later said he was grateful for the hours his father invested driving them to games across the Southeast. He played first base and pitched at Parkview High School in Lilburn, winning consecutive state championships in 2011 and 2012. The school retired his number 21 in 2019. The Athletics drafted him 47th overall in 2012; he signed instead of honoring his commitment to Vanderbilt University.

Oakland to Atlanta

He debuted in Oakland in September 2016 and spent six seasons with the Athletics. AL Gold Gloves at first base came in 2018 and 2019. By his final year in Oakland he had made his first All-Star team. He joined the Braves in 2022. A Silver Slugger followed in 2023, a third Gold Glove — his first in the National League — in 2025. He is an All-Star for the fourth time this season.

His career totals include 275 doubles and 868 RBI across 11 seasons, with a .510 slugging percentage. He has 26 home runs in 101 games this year. He is 32, in his fifth season in Atlanta, and he still plays first base.

Reporting: The Athletic, MLB.com, Wikipedia. Career and biographical data: MLB StatsAPI, via the Fever engine.