Mike Salas
After being sent back down to the Dodgers Triple-A Affiliate OKC, James Outman made his first start in centerfield against the Reno Aces on Tuesday night.
Outman was sent back down to OKC so he can work on that swing that made him the permanent outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023. Outman’s ability to play centerfield in the majors was never in question, it was the hitting and he proved people wrong in 2023.
Outman ended the Dodgers 2023 season on a high note and expectations to improve in 2024. Jame’s stats for 2023 151 G / 483AB / 120 H / 23HR / 70RBI / 181SO / 16SB / .248 AVG / .353 OBP / .437 SLG / .790 OPS. Outman’s first year in the majors was impressive, so impressive that he finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting. In the start of the 2024 season with the Dodgers, Outman’s looked to be in a hitting slump. James showed small signs of getting back to the swing that got him to the Dodgers, but it never panned out. Outman’s stats for 2024 was nothing to write home about, in 109 AB, James had 16H / 3HR / 10RBI / 2 SB / .147 AVG / .250 OBP / .516 OPS.
On May 17th Outman was optioned back to OKC to work on his swing. In his first start back in the minors, James’s struck out his first at bat, walked the second, hit by a pitch and scored in the third, and hit a double in the sixth. Outman ended the night with a 1-for-2 performance with two runs scored. That would get him back to LA if he kept it up for a while.
The Dodgers organization has some of the best coaching in the minors, let’s hope they can work with James on finding his swing. The Dodgers will need his centerfield abilities, and they will need his bat come October when the playoffs start.
