Matt Olson

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #17 prospect in 2017
  The Athletics went heavy with high schoolers in 2012, drafting Addison Russell, Daniel Robertson and Olson, but only Olson remains in the organization. He made his big league debut in 2016 and is a classic Moneyball-era A's player, with plus raw power and a penchant for drawing walks to go with plenty of strikeouts. Still just 22, Olson has hit 34 home runs the last two seasons after ripping 37 in the high Class A California League in 2014, and his walk rate has diminished at upper levels while his strikeout rate has risen. A below-average hitter, he's been compared to the Orioles' Chris Davis for his power and patience, though he tends to do most of his damage to the pull side. Olson hit just .167 against lefthanders with only one homer and looks like a platoon player at this point. That said, Olson has excellent pitch recognition skills and is patient, almost to a fault. An above-average first baseman, Olson played the majority of his games in right field due to Oakland's surplus of corner infielders and is an average outfielder.
• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #6 prospect in 2016
  With Addison Russell and Daniel Robertson since traded, Olson is the last man standing of the three blue-chip high schoolers the Athletics took at the top of their 2012 draft class. He's lived up to his billing as a power bat, as no one in the system has more homers over the last three seasons than Olson's 77. The tough hitting environment in Double-A Midland dragged down his numbers last season, but he hit .281/.394/.485 with nine homers in the second half. Olson's offensive profile comes straight out of the Moneyball era--he'll hit home runs and draw walks. He worked to hit more line drives and go the other way more often in order to survive in Midland, but ultimately his plus raw power remains his carrying tool. He's as disciplined as any hitter in the organization, finishing second in the minors in walks in 2015. The A's wouldn't mind him being more aggressive to give him a chance to raise his average, but there are holes in his swing and he'll still swing and miss in the zone. He's a standout defender at first base and plays passable defense in right field, splitting his time between the two positions. He's not a flashy outfielder, but he's got enough arm strength and a quick release on his throws. Olson's often compared to former Athletic Brandon Moss as a lefty power bat who can play first base or in the outfield. Given the organization's glut of corner infield prospects, it would be beneficial to all parties if he can make a go of it in right field. He'll take on Triple-A Nashville in 2016.
• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #3 prospect in 2015
  Olson established a fearsome reputation when he hit 30 homers over his sophomore and junior years at Parkview High, earning himself a $1,079,700 bonus as the 47th overall pick in 2012. He has kept right on mashing as a pro, swatting 37 homers at high Class A Stockton in 2014, which was good for the third-highest total in the minors. He hit 22 of those homers in the second half, during which he slugged .614 over 70 games. Olson fits the mold of a slugger, and he has legitimate plus power. Most of that pop goes to his pull side, but he does have solid plate coverage and will hit balls out the other way on occasion. Olson knows the strike zone and is very selective, which results in many deep counts and high totals for both strikeouts and walks--he led the minors in the latter with 117. He shortened his swing and moved his hands away from his body in 2014, helping him hit pitches in different parts of the zone, and he lowered his strikeout rate by nearly five percentage points. Olson can adeptly pick balls out of the dirt at first base, and he's athletic enough with a strong enough arm that the Athletics gave him a few starts in right field at the end of 2014. The A's will continue trying Olson in the outfield, envisioning him as having similar versatility as Brandon Moss. Oakland won't expect the same home run production from Olson in 2015 when he moves to Double-A Midland.
• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #12 prospect in 2014
  Olson put together a lengthy, impressive r?sum? in high school. He hit a home run off Max Fried, the No. 7 pick in the 2012 draft, and starred both at the plate and on the mound as his Parkview High squad finished the 2012 season ranked No. 1 in the country. The third of the Athletics' trio of premium high-school picks in 2012, along with Addison Russell and Daniel Robertson, Olson went 47th overall and signed for $1,079,700. Playing alongside fellow teenagers Robertson and Renato Nunez at low Class A Beloit in 2013, Olson's first full season was a mixed bag. He finished second in the Midwest League in homers (23) and fifth in walks (72) but also second in strikeouts (148). With his big frame, Olson has evident raw power. He generates good leverage and hits balls hard to all parts of the park. Singled out for his natural feel for hitting in high school, he tended to get too pull-conscious in 2013, working plenty of deep counts and causing his strikeouts to spike. Olson doesn't have much foot speed, but he's a solid defender at first base and has a strong arm for the position. He has the upside to be a middle-of-the-order presence, but he'll have to address his contact issues as he moves up. He'll team with Nunez and Robertson again at high Class A Stockton in 2014.
• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #10 prospect in 2013
  Olson hit 17 homers as a junior at Parkview High (Lilburn, Ga.) and 11 more as a senior in 2012, including one off Max Fried, the seventh overall pick in the draft. After leading Parkview to the No. 1 national ranking--he won the first game of the Georgia 5-A state finals as a pitcher and the second with a homer--Olson went 40 picks after Fried and signed for $1,079,700. Olson offers a premium blend of power and natural hitting ability. He has a short, easy lefthanded swing and has shown he can get around on quality inside fastballs. With a big, physical frame, he should have above-average usable power. In high school, his stroke was flatter and most of his homers were line drives. Since signing, he has added more leverage to his swing and looked to loft more balls. Olson is a below-average runner but shows good reactions and hands on defense, leading the A's to believe he can be a plus defender at first base. He also pitched in high school and would have been a two-way player at Vanderbilt, so his arm is solid. The A's see Olson as a future middle-of-the-order hitter. He'll form part of talented Beloit infield with Addison Russell and Daniel Robertson in 2013.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #96 prospect in 2012 draft
  Olson pitches (righthanded) and hits for Parkview, also known as Jeff Francoeur's alma mater, and has one of the draft's sweeter lefthanded swings. Olson has had a big spring, homering off the nation's top prep lefthander, Max Fried, during the National High School Invitational, and has pitched well also, going 11-0, 1.24. Olson's arm strength would come in handy in the outfield if he could run, and some team might try him in left field, but he's generally considered a plodder and well-below-average runner. His value is in his bat, and scouts think he'll be an above-average hitter for average and power. He shows natural hitting rhythm and a graceful, low-maintenance swing, and his knack for finding the barrel of the bat and good strength help him drive the ball to all fields. Olson is committed to Vanderbilt as a two-way player and could contribute on the mound, but scouts in Georgia aren't convinced he'll be a tough sign and believe he wants to play pro ball. Florida prep first baseman Dan Vogelbach was a second-rounder last year, and while most scouts liked Vogelbach's power potential better, Olson should still go in about the same draft range if teams believe he's signable.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #16 prospect in 2017
  Like other young sluggers such as Cody Bellinger or Joey Gallo, Olson is Three True Outcomes hitter, but his home runs and walks come frequently enough that they mitigate his strikeouts. Called up to the Athletics in June with a .364 career on-base percentage in the minors, Olson's patience and power translated to the majors instantly. "He (works the count) to get his pitch, because when he does that, he can leave the yard to any part of the yard," Nashville manager Ryan Christenson said. Olson received extensive minor league work at both first base and right field, which will give Oakland multiple options to get his bat in the lineup. First base, though, is his most comfortable position because he has quick feet and an average, accurate arm.
• 
  Ranked Texas League #18 prospect in 2015
  Perhaps no player was as adversely affected by playing at Midland's Security Bank Ballpark as Olson. The lefthanded-hitting slugger ranked third in the minors a year ago with 37 homers, trailing only Kris Bryant and Joey Gallo, but that total shrunk to 17 this year. Scouts, though, say he would have at least five more if he played his home games in another TL park. Olson has plus power and excellent strike-zone awareness. His 105 walks ranked second in the league to Colin Walsh, and while he struck out 139 times, his whiff percentage of 24 percent is more than respectable for a player with his power. He also hangs in against lefthanders, which gives him a chance to be an average or tick below hitter overall. On defense, Olson played first base, his natural position, right field and third base. Despite his size (6-foot-5, 230 pounds), scouts say Olson is athletic enough to play the outfield regularly and made all the plays at third, though he'd be below-average there. Olson has been compared with former Brandon Moss as a power-over-hit lefthanded batter, though one league coach said the adjustments Olson has made with two strikes make it possible he can hit .250 in the majors.
• 
  Ranked California League #13 prospect in 2014
  Though he came in third to Kris Bryant and Joey Gallo in the overall minor league home run race, Olson set the standard for power in the Cal League. His 37 homers were the most by a Cal Leaguer since Chris Carter, also of Stockton, hit 39 in 2008. Olson has all kinds of strength and at his best takes smooth, easy swings. He knows the strike zone and seldom chases--his 117 walks led the minors by a wide margin. All those walks mean Olson works a lot of deep counts, which leads to strikeouts. Scouts saw him get beat by plus fastballs, and the whiffs will be something his teams will just have to live with. Despite the contact issues, he showed signs of becoming a better all-around hitter by hitting .313 in August as he became more willing to take the ball to left field. "I thought he had great plate coverage," Bakersfield manager Pat Kelly said. "Early in the season, maybe he struggled with offspeed, but he seemed to make the adjustment." Olson has good hands at first base along with enough athleticism and arm strength that he got a few starts in right field late in the season.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Complex League #20 prospect in 2012
  Oakland's second sandwich pick in June behind Robertson, Olson would have been a two-way player at Vanderbilt had he not signed for $1,079,700. His best attribute is his lefthanded power and he led the Athletics with eight homers, including three in his first five pro games. He has a quick bat, the ability to turn on inside fastballs and nice leverage in his swing. Olson's stroke is generally short but gets too long at times, leading to strikeouts. Though most of value comes from his offense and he's a below-average runner, he regularly makes good decisions on the bases. He's a solid first baseman with good reactions and a strong arm for his position.

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: Olson hit 17 homers as a junior at Parkview High (Lilburn, Ga.) and 11 more as a senior in 2012, including one off Max Fried, the seventh overall pick in the draft. After leading Parkview to the No. 1 national ranking--he won the first game of the Georgia 5-A state finals as a pitcher and the second with a homer--Olson went 40 picks after Fried and signed for $1,079,700. Scouting Report: Olson offers a premium blend of power and natural hitting ability. He has a short, easy lefthanded swing and has shown he can get around on quality inside fastballs. With a big, physical frame, he should have above-average usable power. In high school, his stroke was flatter and most of his homers were line drives. Since signing, he has added more leverage to his swing and looked to loft more balls. Olson is a below-average runner but shows good reactions and hands on defense, leading the A's to believe he can be a plus defender at first base. He also pitched in high school and would have been a two-way player at Vanderbilt had he gone to college, so his arm is solid. The Future: The A's see Olson as a future middle-of-the-order hitter. He'll form part of talented Beloit infield with Addison Russell and Daniel Robertson at low Class A Beloit in 2013.