March 31st, 2023 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka When Dodgers position players reported to Camelback Ranch-Glendale for Spring Training 2023, there was every reason to believe that 25-year-old utility infielder/outfielder James Outman would begin the 2023 regular season at Triple-A Oklahoma City. When camp ended on March 28, there was every reason to believe that the Redwood City, CA native and Dodgers seventh-round draft pick in 2018 out of Cal State Sacramento will never again face minor league pitching. Not ever.
All Outman did in the 22 Spring Training games in which he appeared was go 15-for-53 for a .283 batting average (highest on the team), hit four doubles (tied for most on the team), hit one triple (tied for most on the team), and hit three home runs (tied for most on the team), with 11 RBI (tied for most on the team) and 15 runs scored (most on the team). As such, he began the regular season on Thursday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium not only on the Dodgers 26-man active roster, but in the Opening Day starting line-up.
In his three at-bats in the Dodgers season opener Outman went 2-for-3 with a single and the teams’ first – and thus far only – home run of the new season, while driving in two of the Dodgers eight runs and scoring three of them in his team’s 8-2 pounding of the Dbacks.
“I was having like some wild dreams last night just like preparing myself for Opening Day, my subconscious was more stressed out I think than I was,” Outman told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson postgame. “But it’s surreal, the fans are awesome. Like hearing the roar of the crowd is like one of the coolest things, like especially when you’re on the field level.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had nothing but the highest praise for his young outfielder.
“I don’t think any moment is going to be too big for him,” Roberts said of Outman postgame. “It’s sort of his heartbeat, the head, he’s just got a good calm demeanor. There’s a quiet confidence there.
“And so, with certain players, you sort of… you know, him hitting that homer in that Freeway Series, and then the pinch-hit at-bat, and then the homer tonight, it really wasn’t surprising. There’s just certain guys that special things are bound to happen,” added Roberts.
Get ready for a lot of ‘special things’ from James Outman this season, Dodgers fans.
Play Ball!
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@Dodgers He’s a stud. He’s a grinder. He’s gonna be a solid player for a long time.
@Dodgers He has a bright future ahead of him. Good to see great things happening from all of his hard work.
@Dodgers I absolutely love him! Great article.
Very happy for the kid. If he can keep it up and hit lefties, a big hole in the Dodgers lineup will be plugged. I hope they give him the opportunity to face lefties.
If he hits 255-275 with 20 plus homers, runs the bases and fields like he did last night he will trounce Bellies totals from the last 2 yrs.