If you haven’t figured out by now that there is something incredibly special about 25-year-old Dodgers outfielder James Outman, you probably never will.

In the simplest of terms, the Redwood City, CA native and Dodgers seventh-round draft pick in 2018 out of Cal State Sacramento is a once-in-a-generation-type elite player who could very well one day end up with a plaque on the wall in the sacred Halls of Cooperstown; not to mention the fact that he is a great guy and exceptional teammate.

On Monday night, in only his fifth major league game of the season (ninth overall), Outman hit not only his first career triple of his brief MLB career, but also his MLB-leading second, becoming the first Dodgers rookie with multiple triples in the same game since former Dodgers outfielder Jason Repko did so on September 26, 2005, and the first Dodger to do so since oft-controversial former Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig tripled three times in a game on July 25, 2014.

‘Babe’ Outman also drove in three runs in Monday night’s 13-4 pounding of the Colorado Rockies in front of a Dodger Stadium crowd of 49,792.

“JD (Martinez) got me fired up today,” Outman told reporters following his (thus far) career night. “His two-out knock I think gave everybody life. I think once one of us goes we all go.”

And go they did. The Dodgers scored seven runs on five hits and two walks in the bottom of the fifth inning – all with two outs – to turn a then 4-2 deficit into a 9-4 Dodgers lead in the eventual 13-4 Dodgers win, their third of the young season, to moved into a first-place tie with the San Diego Padres in the National League West.

“Just up and down the line I thought situationally we were very good,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said postgame, “J Hey (Jason Heyward) again, Outman had a big night, and just played the game of baseball.”

Roberts also acknowledged the start by 26-year-old Dodgers right-hander Michael Grove, his first of the season. Although the Wheeling, WV native and Dodgers second-round draft pick in 2018 out of the University of West Virginia was pulled with no outs in the top of the fifth and was responsible for the Rockies then 3-2 lead, he allowed only two hits, while striking out six and walking two.

“For me, it started with Michael Grove,” Roberts said. “He’s been under the weather and it was kind of touch-and-go tonight if he was going to make the start, but he was determined to make the start tonight. And so we kind of had a shorter leash on him.

“I thought in that last fifth inning he started to kind of poop out a little bit, but he gave us everything he had. His stuff was good, and so going four-and-a third, four-and-two thirds, whatever it was, was huge for our ball club,” added the Dodgers skipper.

All of this said, it is becoming increasingly difficult to look at James Outman as just another Dodgers rookie. The kid is clearly gifted.

…and a gift to Dodgers fans.

Keep it up, ‘Babe’!

Play Ball!

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