Dodgers Coach Highlights James Outman's Incredible Work Ethic, Desire to Improve
One of the biggest stories of the Dodgers early season is the play of rookie outfielder James Outman. After raking in his short stint in the majors last year, and then raking in spring training this year, Outman was awarded with a spot on the Opening Day roster (and even in the Opening Day lineup). And, through 11 games, you'll never guess what he's done. Yes, rake.
Outman has been one of, if not, the best hitter on the Dodgers early in the season, and has played himself out of a platoon role. He's going to be a close to everyday outfielder, and will likely only get better as the year goes on.
This success from Outman early in the season isn't surprising to the people around him, though. Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough spoke with Spectrum SportsNet LA's Kirsten Watson about Outman's incredible growth and determination to get better. He said that's a big reason he's been so successful early in this 2023 season.
"I couldn't be happier," McCullough said. "It hasn't always been the easiest road for James, but the one thing he's always done is like, he's had a goal in mind and been driven about being able to perform at this level. So whether it was swing adjustments, approach adjustments, James has always been open to not only organizational feedback, but when he was on his own in 2020 during the pandemic, he did so much work on his own and went out of his way to go get the necessary work in. And it's paid off. I mean, you couldn't be happier for someone, knowing where he was and to now how he's continued to evolve. And and the performance has been lights out."
Outman is just getting started in his young career, and should continue to impress at the big league level. He's vastly improving this Dodgers lineup, and making the transition from last year's team to this one much easier on Dodger fans.
