Of all the records that exist in the world of sports, Cal Ripken Jr.’s Iron Man streak is among the safest of them all.
While he’s nowhere close to touching Ripken’s record of 2,632, the newest active leader in terms of consecutive starts is Braves first baseman Matt Olson with 221 after it announced that Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield’s streak of 553 straight starts will come to an end due to injury.
As for the likelihood that Olson breaks Ripken’s record, I wouldn’t hold your breath. Ben Verlander did the math and calculated that Olson wouldn’t be able to miss a start over the next 14 seasons if he hopes to become the MLB’s all-time Iron Man.
In addition to his now league-leading availability, Olson continues to lead Major League Baseball with 33 doubles with the All-Star break fast approaching. If he continues on his current pace, the Braves 1B could become the first player since the 1930s to reach the 60-double threshold.
Olson and the Braves open up a three-game set with the Mets at Truist Park tonight with control of the NL East up for grabs after Atlanta has worked to erase a 10.5 game deficit since early June.
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