Dodgers News: This Aspect of James Outman's Game Has Blown Away Dave Roberts
Dodgers rookie James Outman is off to an incredible start this 2023 season. He's slashing .300/.462/.800 with three home runs, nine RBIs, three triples, two stolen bases and an impressive 1.262 OPS. He also has drawn eight walks, a testament to his incredible plate discipline.
Of all the things that his manager Dave Roberts could have praised him for, it was the plate discipline that caught his eye. He said that his ability to lay off pitches and not chase stuff out of the zone has been one of the incredible adjustments the 25-year-old has made this season (per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic).
"When you get a smart player, and know some of the tendencies, and you’re pretty self-aware, you can make an adjustment and he’s done that," Roberts said. "And it’s been pretty impressive because young players, I mean you see our veteran guys that get overzealous and chase when they shouldn’t. … I think sometimes it’s a good lesson for our veteran players to see that."
The Dodgers have their fair share of veterans struggling with the strikeouts, as J.D. Martinez and Max Muncy are among the worst in the league. And while Outman's strikeout numbers aren't exactly low, he's still taking the right pitches, and earning himself walks through great at-bats.
Outman has really done just about everything for the Dodgers early in the season. He's shown off the power, he's shown off the speed, he's shown off the batting eye and he's played solid defense in the outfield.
He's also already playing himself out of a platoon, and into a full-time outfield role, no matter who's on the mound.
The key to playing time in the MLB is impressing your manager. Through 11 games this season, Outman has done just that. That's why you're going to see a lot more of him going forward.
