Athletics slugger Matt Olson set an interesting new record with his 39th home run on Friday night.
The blast was Olson's 22nd of the year against a left-handed pitcher, a single-season record for a left-handed batter, according to reports.
The long ball, which came off Astros southpaw Framber Valdez in Houston, moved Olson one ahead of two legendary lefty swingers in Ken Griffey Jr., who did it twice, and Barry Bonds. Both of them had hit as many as 21 homers against lefties.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the two best single seasons for home runs against lefties belong to right-handed batters, in Dick Allen and Cecil Fielder, who both hit 25.
The home run on Friday night brought Olson to 142 for his career overall. He's now extending his single-season best after previously peaking at 36 in 2019, his second year as a starter.
The 27-year-old enjoyed a career year this season, setting new highs in home runs, RBIs, runs and plate appearances, as well as full-season highs in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging.
An obvious area of improvement for Olson this season has been his strikeout rate, which at 16.6% is coming in well under his career rate of 23.4%. The improved plate discipline his driven up his batting average and OBP, encouraging signs as he comes into his prime.
Olson is clearly effective against pitchers from either side, and now has taken his offensive game to a new level where he's no longer just a dangerous power hitter, but a great hitter overall.
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