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Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman is at the All-Star Game, and so is Matt Olson, the player who replaced him with the Atlanta Braves.
It's a lot to live up to for Olson. Freeman made five All-Star teams with the Braves, won an MVP award and was part of the team's 2021 World Series championship team. NBC Atlanta's Maria Martin asked Freeman about Olson following in his footsteps, and Freeman defended his successor.
Freddie Freeman was asked about Matt Olson and him "following in Freddie's footsteps." Was asked if he feels for him getting the "Freddie this Freddie that"
"He's doing just fine. There's no comparison. He's hitting way more homeruns than me. Let Matt Olson be Matt Olson he's… pic.twitter.com/WVe6I4puLm— Maria Martin (@Ria_Martin) July 15, 2025
“He's doing just fine. There's no comparison,” Freeman said. “He's hitting way more home runs than me. Let Matt Olson be Matt Olson he's doing a wonderful job.”
That checks out. Olson has hit 134 home runs since coming to the Braves, including the 54 he hit in 2023. Freeman, for his part, has hit 84 since joining the Dodgers — but Freeman also has a 2025 World Series championship and World Series MVP award to his name.
Olson has hit 17 long-balls this year and earned a spot in the 2025 Home Run Derby. With All-Star festivities taking place in Atlanta, he had a chance to electrify his home crowd on Monday night. He only hit 15 during his lone round, however, and did not advance. Nevertheless, he said he had a good time.
“I knew there was going to be a lot of Braves people, but I kind of figured that there'd be more just baseball fans coming in, maybe from some other teams,” Olson said, via Mark Bowman of MLB.com. “But, it felt like it was a Friday night and the division-was-on-the-line kind of game. So it was a blast.”
Freeman is in the starting lineup for the National League and will bat cleanup in Tuesday night's All-Star Game. Olson will come off the bench, but considering the game is in Atlanta, it's safe to say he will at least get an at bat.
