Dodgers Rookie James Outman Tied to Babe Ruth in Incredibly Specific Stat

Any time you can be put in the same conversation as Babe Ruth, it's probably going to be good news. For James Outman, that was the case on Thursday.

No, this wasn't Dodgers broadcaster calling him Babe Outman. This time, he actually did something on the field to put himself in a category next to Ruth.

According to OptaSTATS on Twitter, on Thursday, Outman became the second player in MLB regular season history to hit a grand slam in the 9th inning on the road for his second go-ahead home run of that game. He joined none other than Babe Ruth as the only two players in MLB history to accomplish that feat.

James Outman of the @Dodgers is the second player in MLB regular-season history to hit a 9th-inning grand slam on the road for his second go-ahead homer of the game.

The other was Babe Ruth on July 18, 1919. pic.twitter.com/gWNq558yM9
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) April 21, 2023

I know, that's a very specific stat. But again, any time you can be mentioned with the great Babe Ruth, why not?

Outman's Thursday outbreak was just one of the many incredible moments he's had thus far in his young MLB career.

Outman began his MLB career with a bang, homering in his first career at-bat. He also homered on Opening Day this season for the Dodgers, and now, hit a go-ahead 9th inning grand slam that put him in a category with Ruth.

"I definitely think that was the biggest situation of my career so far. It was really cool," Outman said after the game. "We were hurting for a run the whole game it seemed like, so the fact that we got it, it was huge."

“We were hurting for a run the whole game it seemed like, so the fact that we got it was huge.” @james_outman explains what was going through his mind after hitting the game-winning Grand Slam. pic.twitter.com/LG1VrXIGdi
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 21, 2023

Huge may be an understatement, as Outman put the Dodgers on his back to lead them to win No. 10 on the year, and back to .500.

The Dodgers were able to muster up just six runs in three combined games against the Cubs this past weekend and, on Thursday, they matched that total — thanks in large part to Outman, who hit two home runs and drove in five RBIs.

"He just keeps getting better, which is scary," Roberts said of Outman after the game. "For a young player to want to be in that spot, that says a lot about him. This is a pretty fun and crazy environment, but to handle himself like he did and have that big hit and homer earlier — it’s going to be fun to watch his growth."

Outman was back in the lineup on Friday against a lefty, a great sign for him potentially working his way out of a platoon and into an everyday role. The Dodgers lineup is much better when Outman is playing, so hopefully Roberts keeps him in there on a full-time basis moving forward.