Burst Upon the Scene – That's James Outman

When Joc Pederson was in AA, I predicted that he would be “no more than a 4th or 5th outfielder.” In some ways, I was right. Joc was, is, and always will be a platoon player. That is unless he suddenly figures out how to hit lefthanders. In other ways, I was wrong in that Joc has surpassed anything that I anticipated for him.

Up until today, when James Outman became the only player in Dodgers franchise history to debut with a HR, 3 Hits, 3 RBI, and 2 Runs, I felt the same about Outman.

FIRST MLB AT-BAT? HOMER. WELCOME TO THE SHOW, @james_outman! pic.twitter.com/EtdqLARi3Y

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 31, 2022

That was before James stepped into a phone booth and put on his Superman Cape. Of course, one game does not a career make, but what a start! James Outman is no overnight sensation – this has been years in the making. James was drafted in 2018 and hit .264 at Ogden. In 2019, he hit .226 at Great Lakes as they overhauled his swing, but then he missed the entire COVID-19 2020 Season. In 2021, between Tulsa and Great Lakes, he hit.266 and flashed some power with 18 HR. However, the makeover of his swing continued into this season as he started at Tulsa and ended up at OKC before debuting with the Dodgers yesterday.

James Outman can play all three outfield positions and has a good arm, but his bat has caught up to his speed and skills. I still think he is a #4 or #5 outfielder-type, but that’s pretty dang good. He could be the guy the Dodgers have been looking for since Joc left. Of course, as I said, one game really tells us nothing. If we were judging Trayce Thompson on his first game back, he might not be here.

Welcome to the Show, James Outman – You made it! Boy, did you! Tonight, James will be back in the lineup, as Doc stacks the lineup with lefties against Sindley Whiplash. James is a very smart, coachable, and driven young man and has taken to MLB like a fish to water. Here he talks about the whole experience:

James Outman spoke pregame about his excitement about being called up today and his swing. pic.twitter.com/R2Cq20z5Mj

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) July 30, 2022

It’s August 1st and the Clock is ticking until tomorrow’s trade deadline, but James Outman is a great example of maybe trading a player BEFORE he develops. Sometimes the guy you trade is better than the guy you get. And… sometimes, the best trades are the ones you don’t make.

Future Dodgers Down on the Farm

• OKC won 5-4
  • Ryan Pepiot went seven innings and allowed five hits and 2 ER as he extended his record to 8-0 (2.27 ERA).
  • Carson Fulmer got the save after walking three and striking out 2 in the 8th. His walks are keeping him down.
  • Dellin Betances was the “opener,” and in 1 inning giving up two hits and 2 ER.
  • Miguel Vargas played LF again and was 1-3 with a BB..
• Tulsa beat Arkansas 16-3
  • Gavin Stone came into the game in the second inning and pitched 5.1 innings, allowing 4 hits and 0 ER on 4 BB and 5 K’s (ERA 1.40)
  • Andy Pages hit a 2-run HR – Giving up on him rightaboutnow would be a mistake.
• Great Lakes beat the Nuts 4-1
  • Diego Cartaya was taken out of the game after just one AB. I did not look too hard but I could not find out why.
• Rancho Cucamonga lost 7-3
  • Nothing extraordinary to report – Carry on!

Rants & Raves

• Boy, are we spoiled! The Best Record in baseball, and fans are willing to gut the farm for Soto or Ohtani.
• The Catman did not have his best stuff yesterday (It’s Coors), but he did OK and got his 12th win.
• The bullpen did their job 100% for the final four innings… Almonte, Vesia, Bickford, and even Kimbrel got the job done.
• I continue to hold out hope for Max Muncy. Hitting starts with confidence, and his has waned. Maybe James Outman can share some of his rightaboutnow.
• TRADE DEADLINE: Tick Tock – The Tick is Clocking!
• One final thing… NEVER FORGET!