Meaning no disrespect whatsoever, if you are among those who still believe that it is too early to acknowledge that 25-year-old Dodgers outfielder James Outman will be the 2023 National League Rookie of the Year (or isn’t at least the current front-runner), you are, quite frankly, kidding yourself. And while anything most certainly can happen between now and when the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) make their selection for this prestigious honor prior to the beginning of the postseason, the Redwood City, CA native and seventh round draft pick by the Dodgers in 2018 out of California State University, Sacramento continues to do things – almost daily – that haven’t been done since the Babe Ruth era … or ever.

On Saturday afternoon at historic Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, Outman slugged two home runs (again) – the first, a solo shot in the top of the second inning to give the Dodgers a then 2-1 lead, and the second, a two-run blast in the top of the ninth to give his team a 9-4 lead and final score.

“It’s remarkable. I guess I just learned that he’s the first Dodger rookie to hit seven homers in the first month, so we still got some time,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson postgame. “It’s just fun watching him and continue to make adjustments, and the League’s still trying to learn him. But earning pitches, earning counts, and when they make a mistake out over, he’s making them pay, and that’s sort of the plan that we’re all trying to do.”

“After Max (Muncy) hit his (second home run of the game in the top of the ninth), I told Doc ‘All of his homers come in twos,’ and then he kinda giggled and I hit one, and so it was kinda funny that way,”

Again, in no way am I trying to be disrespectful to Outman-Rookie-of-the-Year skeptics. I am simply trying to encourage you to recognize that we are witnessing baseball history unfolding almost daily before our very eyes by the extremely popular (and humble) Dodgers outfielder.

Play Ball!

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