James Outman

Outman began the season on the busier side of a center field platoon, but it wasn't long before the rookie became an everyday player, appearing in 151 contests. The lefty swinger still must hit for more power facing southpaws, as evidenced by his .254/.357/.308 line, but a 246/.351/.484 effort facing right-handers landed Outman third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. Outman stole 16 bases in 19 tries, for an 84 percent success rate, which could lead to being given the green light more this season. Strikeouts are Outman's primary concern since his 44th percentile hard-hit rate doesn't support maintaining the .343 BABIP Outman registered last season. He doesn't chase much, but when he swings at pitches out of the zone, his contact rate is terrible. This is fixable, especially since Outman's walk rate is above average, but he's a batting average liability until he can demonstrate more contact. This restricts him to the lower half of the Dodgers order, but with his power and speed combination, and the potency of the lineup, Outman is still a strong mixed league asset, just don't pay for upside that may not immediately manifest.

Outman enjoyed a brief but impactful initial cup of coffee in the majors last season, going 6-for-13 with a homer, two doubles, three RBI and six runs (albeit with seven strikeouts) over four games between July 31 and August 4. He continued to make noise after returning to the minors, most notably by hitting for the cycle twice over a torrid four-game stretch in late August. The Dodgers opted not to bring him back for a September call-up, but that had nothing to do with his play -- in fact, Outman broke out with his best minor-league season, slashing .294/.392/.586 with 31 homers, 106 RBI and 13 thefts between Double-A and Triple-A. The jump in power was notable as Outman hadn't previous hit more than 19 bombs in a campaign, and though that did come with a hefty 27.2% strikeout rate, he continued to display patience at the plate with a 12.5% walk rate. Outman rates as an above-average defender with a strong arm and good speed, and given his development as a hitter, he appears ready to make the jump to the next level. The Dodgers non-tendered Cody Bellinger and also lost Justin Turner and Trea Turner, so opportunities should be available to prospects like Miguel Vargas and Outman.