Evolution of A’s Matt Olson: From swinging and missing to landing in All-Star Game – San Francisco Chronicle

If there was one motivational factor for Matt Olson to reboot his career, to turn himself into an all-around fabulous player, to earn the right to be selected an All-Star for the first time, it was this basic eight-word premise:

As manager Bob Melvin said it, and it makes perfect sense when examining how Olson evolved from his disappointing 2020 to his inclusion in the American League MVP conversation, at least beyond Shohei Ohtani and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Olson, the multifaceted 6-foot-5 first baseman, arrived in the majors with power and Gold Glove skills, but he always knew he could take his game to the next level by making more solid contact. More contact, period.

Olsons first three full seasons, he struck out roughly once every four plate appearances 27.8%, 24.7%, 25.2% but the swings and misses came far more frequently last year when his strikeout rate soared to 31.4%, the ninth highest rate in the majors among hitters with enough plate appearances to qualify for the leader board.

Those days are gone. Olson has turned himself into an exceptional contact hitter while maintaining his power stroke. He strikes out just 16.5% of the time, and only 31 qualified batters whiff less.

The transformation is evident throughout Olsons stat line, and hes using all fields and beating the shift, a true all-around hitter and centerpiece of a team that has led the AL West for most of the season.

Pretty much my whole baseball career, Ive been a slow starter and kind of a second half guy, Olson said. This year, even from spring training, I felt I was in a better place after addressing some things in the offseason.

Matt Olson (28) is high fived in the dugout in the ninth inning after being taken out for a pinch runner as the Oakland Athletics played the Boston Red Sox at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, July 4, 2021. The As were defeated 0-1.

Aside from an improved mental approach at the plate It really got away from me. I honestly had a bad attitude Olson has been doing a couple of things that have made a difference. Hes religiously using a high-velocity pitching machine and also choking up on the bat.

That latter practice is an old-school technique batters used to assure making contact, especially with two strikes. It has become a rarity over the years as hitters dumped their two-strike approach and tried to power up on every pitch.

Olson can be seen these days choking up at least an inch, as Barry Bonds did, which gives him more control of the bat and a quicker swing through the zone.

Hes not missing the high fastballs as he did in 2020. Hes either fouling off those pitches or knocking them into left field for base hits.

I played around with it in the spring and in the offseason, and I didnt see a ton of power difference, Olson said. I cant say Ill be doing it forever. Its honestly just a big feel thing. Im always moving around in the box, up and back and away from the plate, and changing grip on the bat is just one of those things where if it aint broke, dont fix it.

But well see how long it sticks.

Not many people know Olsons swing like Eric Martins, the As assistant hitting coach who worked with Olson in the minors and has had a front-row seat to the lefty swingers evolution of hitting.

Now he has confidence he can use the whole field, Martins said, and when he hits balls to left field and center field and left-center, thats a dangerous man right there.

Olson is hitting to the opposite field like never before. Of the balls he puts in play, 52.7% have gone to center field, up from 45.1% last year, and a career-high 15.9% have gone to left.

He pulls the ball 31.4% of the time, a career low.

Oakland Athletics' Matt Olson, left, rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Houston Astros, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Olys trying to take advantage of what the defense is giving him. He was getting tired of hitting it to that rover out in short right field, said Melvin, adding the 2020 season wasnt kind to Olson and some of the games other top hitters because it was so short.

He got off to a slow start, and it was tough catching up because there wasnt enough time. Now hes just trying to become a better hitter, hit the ball the other way, let the ball travel a little bit more in the zone, cut down on his strikeouts.

Mission accomplished. Aside from choking up, a major difference in Olsons approach is the constant use of a velo machine with dimpled balls that are rubbery and a bit lighter than baseballs, delivering them through a horn-shaped apparatus.

Its made by Power Alley, and the As call it the little red machine because, well, its red. Tommy La Stella, whos known for rarely striking out, brought one with him from Anaheim when the As traded for him last season, and it caught on.

The As bought a few of the machines to accommodate those who like the ball whizzing toward them from short range without the fear of cracking a bat. Matt Chapman and Ramon Laureano are users.

One of the benefits for Olson is practicing hitting the high cheese with his long swing. The machine can make pitches have a rising effect, which resembled pitches thrown when MLB wasnt policing pitchers using illegal substances on the ball.

He uses that thing every single day and used it the whole offseason, Martins said. In the sticky era, thats what guys were throwing, fastballs that were rising. He worked on combating that pitch, which was giving him trouble. In turn, it has cleaned up his path and ability to handle all pitches and hit it anywhere.

Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson before a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, June 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Despite a recent funk, Olson is hitting .283 with a .372 on-base percentage and .552 slugging percentage, a huge upgrade over his 2020 slash line: .195/.310/.424.

He has 20 homers and 53 RBIs. And 56 strikeouts in 80 games, a far cry from last year when he had 77 Ks in 60 games, fifth most in the majors.

Nowadays, once hes done with his prep work, hes not caught up with mechanics. He doesnt go overboard with video. Hes able to walk to the plate and let his baseball instincts guide him. As any premier hitter would. See ball, hit ball.

Last year, if I put together a few bad games, I felt I needed to make a big change, Olson said. You just cant be successful in the box thinking about where my hands are, when do I start, all these things.

Just get in there, even if you dont feel you have youre A swing, and compete. Sometimes you get rolling that way just by barreling up a couple of pitches.

John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicles national baseball writer. Email: jshea@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnSheaHey

See original here:

Evolution of A's Matt Olson: From swinging and missing to landing in All-Star Game - San Francisco Chronicle