Stop the Insanity!
Some Dodger fans here think the sun rises and sets in James Outman’s …. eyes! When he burst on the scene last year, he was “otherworldly.” In his four games in 2022, he hit .462, with a 1.409 OPS. Again, he got off to a hot start in 2023. Eric, who vehemently takes exception to…
Some Dodger fans here think the sun rises and sets in James Outman’s …. eyes! When he burst on the scene last year, he was “otherworldly.” In his four games in 2022, he hit .462, with a 1.409 OPS. Again, he got off to a hot start in 2023. Eric, who vehemently takes exception to me calling James Outman a 4th or 5th outfielder (that is what I have said for a year, and I would be an idiot if I let 20 games change my mind.). Eric wrote this yesterday:
“The bottom of the lineup is a black hole besides Outman. That’s why they’re not scoring runs:
Martinez .246/.294/.475/.769
Vargas .222/.431/.333/.764
Taylor .135/.214/.459/.673
Heyward .182/.269/.591/.860
Peralta .200/.226/.233/.459
Rojas .143/.200/.179/.379
3 guys below .200 BA and 2 barely above and 1 below .250. 3 guys below .700 OPS, 2 of them way below. 2 below .800 and 1 above .800 and then there’s Barnes.“
Well, I have news for you Eric. It’s not just the bottom of the lineup. It’s the top and middle too, and your boy James Outman is right there with the rest of the problems. While he has shown in 2022 and 2023 that he is an exceptionally fast starter, he also shows that he slows down after the first few games.. by a lot!
After a fast start this season, he is now hitting .233 in the last 15 games, and in the last 7 games, he is hitting .174! One has to conclude that James Outman is a fast starter and streaky. Eric, in his silliness, likes to compare “his” player to “my” player (Miguel Vargas, who is not really my player – I just think he will be a better player than Outman), who is not doing well either. Vargas is hitting .222 with a .431 OB% – that is the only stat where he is going better than Outman.
However, I believe it is exceptionally dumb to try and compare players after 16 games. STOP THE INSANITY! Right about now, this team is in a funk. Either they score ten runs, or they score 1 or 2 runs. James Outman is not doing his part. Neither are Miguel Vargas, Austin Barnes, Jason Heyward, David Peralta (one walk-off notwithstanding), Freddie Freeman, JD Martinez, and Mookie Betts (and others).
Right about now, this team sucks! I don’t pretend to know how to fix it, but I will say, “This too shall pass!” Just shut up already with the childish rhetoric about “my player is better than your player!” Miguel Vargas is not “my player,” either. I have formed my opinion about him over hundreds of games. The same with Outman. Great, you like James Outman. Well, right about now, James Outman sucks, and so does Miguel Vargas! I like both players and hope they do well. Somehow, Eric is angry that I have rated Vargas over Outman.
This, too, shall pass. I just wish it would hurry up! The Dodgers are 8-8. The Padres are 8-9 while Arizona leads the Division at 9-7, but they have a -2 run differential… as do the Padres. The Dodgers have a +18 run differential. This is “fixable”; however, some of the players may change (give it time). Only a moron would draw a conclusion after 16 games! Play on.
Minor League Notes
- Gavin Stone did not fare well yesterday… again. 3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.
- Mike Busch played 3B again. Could this be his permanent spot?
- Emmett Sheehan did about the same as Stone.
- Jose Ramos is off to a fast start – .379/.993 OPS. He is playing RF while Pages is in Center.
- Jon Rooney is doing well after converting to the bullpen.
- Rushing and Cartaya are both struggling after jumping up a level this season.
- Jake Vogel can’t hit water if he jumped out of a boat at GL.
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Discussion (105)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Losing Lux for the season had a huge impact on this team, I think he was poised to really contribute offensively. Losing Smith for just a week shows how he is now indispensable to the Dodgers aspirations.
The consistent inconsistency is consistently driving me inssne!
A few years back the Dodgers were average at best and then won something like 32 of 40 games and didn’t look back. They could do it again or will it be the Padres this time.
Mark, what the hell is your thing with Eric all about. Geeze, give it a rest.
Dodger defense is still not a strength.
16 games or 10% of the season in the books and the Dodgers are at .500.
I expected them to be between 88 -92 wins and so far I see no reason to change my outlook. MOF so far the schedule (on paper) was not diffcult.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If Bellinger keeps it up all year, we can sign him to a $200 million contract next year. I kinda doubt it he will, but, it’s possible his shoulder is finally healed.
Martinez .246? It’s actually worse. He was given a hit on an error by Swanson. Homer scoring. He’s actually hitting .230.
Unless used in trade for a bonafide Major League player, none of those minor leaguers mentioned are going to help win a Division title.
Yeah we’re +18. We are also .500, which at this time in this Division is actually competitive. But it would appear we may have difficulty against better pitching. Maybe we’re a summer club.
I would rather have Julio and Will than Shoei. 2 is better than 1.
I expect Outman and Vargas to have some growing pains, but Mookie and JDM have not been impressive to say the least.
59 ABs, 16 hits, 6 RBI, 9 BB, 8 K’s and 1 HR w/ .271 BA, .389 OBP, .390 SLG, .779 OPS and 112 OPS+—-Justin Turner
61 ABs, 15 hits, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 23 K’s and 1 HR w/ .246 BA, .294 OBP, .475 SLG, .770 OPS and 101 OPS+–JD Martinez
If things don’t improve much you have to wonder if JT would have given the Dodgers a home team discount and signed for one year at $10 million to be our DH?
Our lineup will look a lot better when Will Smith returns from his concussion. Freddie Freeman got 1 hit the entire weekend as the Cubs were pitching around him giving him nothing to actually hit. The ump didn’t help the situation in his last at bat to end the game. The Dodgers have to sign Will to a contract extension this year.
It was good to see Belli looking better at the plate during this series but it does raise questions about why that didn’t happen last year under Dodger hitting coaches….