Things are a little bit different this year for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Over the winter, they lost a few key contributors in Trea Turner, Cody Bellinger, and Justin Turner.
However, they have some internal pieces who can make up for those losses, one of which is rookie outfielder James Outman.
The young Dodgers outfielder has been off to a hot start in 2023.
He hit a go-ahead grand slam on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs to seal the win for Los Angeles.
In fact, Outman is ahead of all other MLB rookies in some elite categories.
On Twitter, Dodgers writer Doug McKain posted some stats that show where Outman ranks among other rookies.
James Outman MLB rookie ranks:
5 HR (1st)
3 Triples (1st)
15 RBI (1st)
.355 ISO (1st)
175 wRC+ (1st)
1.1 fWAR (1st)It’s still very early, but James Matthew Outman has a real shot of being the 19th ROTY in Dodgers franchise history.
— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) April 21, 2023
Outman is first in fWAR, wRC+, isolated power, RBI, triples, and home runs.
His grand slam brought his total of home runs up to five and his RBI total up to 15.
The 25-year-old is also hitting .290 on the season with two stolen bases and a 1.042 OPS in his first 62 at-bats.
It’s safe to say that the Dodgers may in fact have something special in Outman.
He’s started off the season fast and is producing at a high level, essentially filling the hole left by Bellinger’s departure.
The young slugger was selected by the Dodgers in the seventh round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Sacramento State University.
As McKain notes, the season is still young, but Outman could be on his way to securing a Rookie of the Year Award and becoming the 19th player in Dodgers history to achieve that feat.
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