Dodgers: James Outman Shares Expectations for Upcoming Baseball Season
James Outman made the summer of 2022 one that he will never forget. The outfield prospect made his MLB debut with the Dodgers and capitalized in a small sample at the big league level. But all told, it was just that last season… a small sample size.
And that has left him hungry for more.
In a recent exclusive chat with Dodgers Nation, Outman shared a bit of his mindset heading into spring training 2023 and how he’s hoping to make an impact on the roster.
“So I’ve heard the saying that, ‘if you hit, you can get to the show and defense will keep you in the show.’ So I want to just keep my defense as good as it can be for as long as, as long as I can do it. But I think that’ll help me stick around just cause it turns me into a more of a reliable guy that can get the job done on the field and, and you know, whether or not I’m hitting at least if my defense is good, I can affect the game that way.”
The 25-year-old didn’t get a chance to show off too much defensively in his 4 games with LA last year. But his reputation down in the minor leagues is that of a plus defender with good speed and a solid arm. Following the departure of long-time centerfielder Cody Bellinger, Outman has a clear opportunity to shine for LA
He continued with our Doug McKain, sharing more about his mindset as a ballplayer.
“I always like to tell, like, my little cousin or other like young baseball players that even though you’re not hitting, just try and affect the game any way you can. So it’s, it’s crazy how many runs you can save on defense if you just make all your plays or even if you just charge the ball hard on a base hit and the third base coach doesn’t send them in. Um, there’s there’s so many like small things that don’t really get noticed that can save you a run or at least save you 90 feet to give your pitch another shot to get the guy out. And then other than defense, there’s also like base running you can get on base and find a way to get to third base on a base hit. That’s huge that helps the game so much. Helps your team out so much.”
The rookie will have his work cut out for him this spring with veterans like Chris Taylor, Trayce Thompson, and newcomer David Peralta likely earning the majority of playing time in front of Dave Roberts and company. Plus former All-Star Jason Heyward is looking to earn a spot on the opening day roster and is capable in center.
Outman has just about proven all he can at the minor league level in his pro career. Now it’s about getting the opportunity and capitalizing.
To end the interview, he gave a hopeful promise for both himself and for fans who hope to see him up in the big leagues a little more this upcoming season:
“2023 will be a successful season for me if I stay healthy and stay on the course.”
Outman is only 25 years old with a solid few years of playing pro-ball through the Dodgers’ minor league system and has a bright future ahead. I’m excited to see him in that outfield a whole lot more this season.
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