Olson to rep A's in first All-Star appearance

OAKLAND -- Since roughly the middle of May, as Matt Olson continued to sustain his excellent offensive numbers, his teammates and manager Bob Melvin campaigned hard to bring awareness to the first baseman’s All-Star worthiness.

On Sunday, that lobbying finally paid off.

• MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard: July 13 on FOX

Olson will be taking his talents to Coors Field in Colorado after he was named to the 2021 All-Star Game, which takes place on July 13. He earns his first All-Star selection in the midst of what is on pace to be a career year as he goes through his fourth full big league season.

Entering Sunday, he ranked fourth in the American League in home runs (20), seventh in slugging percentage (.554) and eighth in OPS (.924) among all hitters.

The 27-year-old is Oakland’s first All-Star representative at the position since Yonder Alonso in 2017.

“This is definitely something you dream about as a little kid, being in an All-Star Game one day. It’s a special moment,” said Olson. “I’m kind of a win-first guy and let everything fall into place. But it’s going to be cool to have this moment and reflect back on it.”

Melvin delivered the news to Olson during a pregame meeting inside the A’s clubhouse prior to Sunday’s game against the Red Sox.

Olson entered this season with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, determined to prove that his down numbers from the shortened 60-game regular season in 2020 were a fluke. After linking with A’s hitting coach Darren Bush over the offseason to make adjustments to his approach at the plate to correct an issue with his bat path, Olson has evolved into a complete hitter. In addition to the usual power, he’s cut down on the strikeouts significantly. His 16.4% strikeout rate entering Sunday was well below his 2020 mark of 31.4%.

“Last year put a chip on my shoulder,” Olson said. “I had a really bad year, in my opinion. I felt, in a way, it let the team down and we came up short of the World Series.

“You check yourself in the mirror after the season. I felt motivated to fix some stuff and wanted to come out strong. I’m happy with the improvements that I’ve made and plan on keeping it going.”

The 91st Midsummer Classic will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 180 countries. During the game, fans may visit MLB.com and the 30 club sites to submit their choices for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. FOX Deportes will provide Spanish-language coverage in the United States, while ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage. MLB Network, MLB.com and SiriusXM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information about MLB All-Star Week, including ticket information and updates, please visit AllStarGame.com and follow @MLB and @AllStarGame.