ATLANTA -- To fully appreciate the significance of Matt Olson's MLB-best consecutive games played streak, it’s best to know what last prevented the Braves' first baseman from appearing in a game.
“I was hitting in the batting cage and the L-screen in [St. Petersburg] didn’t have padding,” Olson said. “I hit one off the screen and it came back and popped me in the eye, and I couldn’t open it for a few days. I had to see eye doctors and have scans of my eyes and everything. It was probably a half-inch away from being a real big deal.”
This scary incident occurred during the morning of April 29, 2021, as Olson and his Athletics teammates were preparing for an afternoon series finale at Tropicana Field. The next 24 hours were both painful and stressful. There were some initial concerns about potential long-term vision problems.
So, it’s safe to say nobody saw what was to follow. Olson returned to the A’s lineup on May 2 and began a consecutive games streak that reached 798 games when the Braves hosted the Guardians on Sunday night.
Olson is now tied with Nellie Fox for the 11th-longest streak in MLB history. After Monday’s game against the Marlins, the Braves veteran will be just 23 games away from owning one of the 10 longest streaks in baseball history.
“He shows up every day ready to go,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “But typically, there's always something, you know, a nick here or there that keeps you out, or even getting sick for a day. Guys come up with a stomach flu or something for a day and you can't play. This guy's played through it all and continues to do so.”
It’s worth noting that Olson has been in the starting lineup for all but one game during this streak. A late-season slump led former Atlanta manager Brian Snitker to sit the slugger against the Phillies on Sept. 24, 2022. But the streak exists because Olson ended up playing first base during the final two innings of a 6-3 Braves win.
Olson is lined up to own the ninth-longest streak -- currently Eddie Yost's 829-gamer -- before the end of May. He would pass Stan Musial (895 games) and own the game's eighth-longest streak in August.
If Olson plays every game for the Braves for the fifth straight year, he’ll finish this season having played in 944 consecutive games. By the end of the 2027 season, he could own the game’s seventh-longest streak, and a couple months into the 2028 season, he could pass Miguel Tejada (1,152 games) and own the fifth-longest streak.
Tejada is the only player to construct one of the 10 longest streaks this century. Cal Ripken Jr.’s unbreakable record of 2,632 consecutive games ended in 1999. That stood as the longest streak since Steve Garvey ended his 1,207 consecutive games streak in 1983. Garvey’s stretch was the longest since Billy Williams ended his 1,117-game streak in 1970.
Playing every game over numerous seasons was more commonplace over previous decades. But Olson currently sits in a category by himself. The second-longest active streak is owned by the Orioles’ Pete Alonso at 431 games.
Nearly five full calendar years into the streak, did Olson ever envision constructing this kind of streak?
“The thought never really crossed my mind,” Olson said. “You know I've always said I just want to play.”