ATLANTA -- Matt Olson will likely never come close to matching Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak of 2,130. But given that he’s baseball’s current Iron Man, it was fitting that the Braves' first baseman shined as the baseball world celebrated the iconic Iron Man.
With MLB celebrating Lou Gehrig Day on Tuesday, it seemed fitting to wonder if the Yankees legend had anything to do with the wind-aided go-ahead home run Olson hit in the sixth inning of the Braves’ 4-3 win over the Blue Jays at Truist Park.
“I was yelling, ‘Blow wind,’” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “It was high enough where I knew the wind was going to carry it a little bit. I didn’t know if it was going to carry enough. It looked like he hit it straight up, but he hit it hard.”
The solo shot had a 49-degree launch angle, the highest on a home run this season. Just three over-the-fence homers have had a higher launch angle since Statcast began collecting this data in 2015 -- J.D. Martinez on May 15, 2015; Xander Bogaerts on Aug. 13, 2021; and LaMonte Wade Jr. on May 12, 2024.
“The wind was blowing out toward the [right-field foul] pole a little bit, so I’m sure it gave me some help,” Olson said. “I hit it well. But you just don't see balls like that go. I got under it too much.”
So what would be the Gehrig influence? Well, the sky-high shot was blown out 17 feet and pushed 29 feet to the right, per Statcast.
“Lou Gehrig was one of my all-time heroes,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “I made made all four of my sons do their fifth-grade book report on Lou Gehrig. It was mandatory in our house. What a legacy he left behind. Then you’ve got our Iron Man hitting the game-winning home run on Lou Gehrig Day. So, it was very appropriate.”
When Olson hit the ball, he put his head down, seemingly thinking he had likely flown out to right field.
“I saw how high it went,” Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder said. “I heard the crack and I knew it was hit hard. That right field isn’t Yankee Stadium, but it sure is close sometimes. So, I knew it had a chance. The ball just kept creeping and creeping.”
Olson’s game-winning shot off Kevin Gausman came three innings after he had doubled and scored on Ozzie Albies’ two-out RBI single. The two extra-base hits backed a solid effort from Elder, who allowed three earned runs over 6 2/3 innings.
All big league players wore a No. 4 patch on their jerseys on Tuesday to help MLB celebrate the sixth annual Lou Gehrig Day. The Yankees Hall of Famer began his legendary "Iron Horse" consecutive game streak on June 1, 1925. He passed from ALS complications on this same date 16 years later. This fatal disease is also known as Lou Gehrig Disease.
“I know people from my area who've been affected by [ALS],” Olson said. “It’s a brutal disease. So, it's nice, every time we get a chance to go out and bring some awareness and do something to help the people really affected by it.”
Gehrig played 2,130 consecutive games, a number only surpassed by Cal Ripken’s streak of 2,632 games. Olson holds the current longest streak, having played 843 consecutive games, dating back to May 2, 2021, exactly one month before the first Lou Gehrig Day was celebrated.
“I just don't like sitting,” Olson said. “I've had days off in the past. It sucks sitting there, watching everybody else play. Sure, you're tired sometimes. But I just think you have a commitment to your teammates and the fans and to yourself and to the organization. If you can go, you should go.”
Olson’s current streak ranks ninth on the all-time list. Barring any postponements, he’ll pass Stan Musial (895 games) on Aug. 2 and stand alone with the eighth-longest streak.
There’s a good chance he’ll also play in this year’s All-Star Game. Olson leads all NL first basemen in home runs (17) and OPS (.901). His 36 extra-base hits lead all MLB players.
“He fouls balls off his legs and stuff and continues to play every day,” Elder said. “It’s unbelievable what he does.”