Matt Olson played in his 741st consecutive game on Saturday night, passing Dale Murphy’s franchise record to become the Atlanta Braves’ all-time Iron Man.
The streak, which began on June 1, 2022, when Olson was still with the Oakland A’s, is also the longest active consecutive-games streak in Major League Baseball. He is the only player in the majors to have played every game of his team’s last 741.
“It’s humbling to be mentioned in the same breath as Dale,” Olson said before Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals. “He’s one of the greats. I’m just trying to show up every day and help this team win.”
Olson, 31, has been remarkably durable since arriving in Atlanta in a 2022 trade that sent Matt Olson to Oakland and Sean Murphy to Atlanta in a rare three-player swap. He has played through minor injuries that would have sidelined most players, and he rarely takes a day off.
“He’s the toughest player I’ve ever managed,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “He plays through everything. He doesn’t complain. He just shows up and does his job.”
Murphy’s record of 740 consecutive games stood for nearly four decades. Murphy played from 1976 to 1993, earning two MVP awards and making five All-Star teams.
The Braves honored Olson with a pregame ceremony at Truist Park, with Murphy’s family in attendance. Olson received a custom-made gold first baseman’s mitt and a standing ovation from the crowd of more than 40,000.
Olson went 0-for-3 with a walk in Saturday’s game, which was delayed more than two hours by rain. The Cardinals won 2-1.
The streak will get its biggest test next week when the Braves open a six-game homestand. Olson is hitting .263 with 25 home runs and 58 RBIs this season.