MLB Pipeline, specialized in their coverage of rookies and prospects, published its most recent power rankings.
The rankings are a perfect way to see who is hot and who is not, prioritizing recent performance but also taking into account past production.
You can see the rankings here.
Corbin Carroll, Gunnar Henderson, Kodai Senga, Matt McLain, Triston Casas, Tanner Bibee, Francisco Alvarez, Masataka Yoshida, Eury Perez, and Hunter Brown comprise the top ten.
Those who have followed the season all year, and especially Los Angeles Dodgers fans, wonder why outfielder James Outman is not included.
One of them is Dodgers insider Blake Harris.
“James Outman has the second highest fWAR among all rookie hitters/pitchers and didn’t crack the Top 10,” he tweeted.
James Outman has the second highest fWAR among all rookie hitters/pitchers and didn’t crack the Top 10 https://t.co/x9KRpcMKbX
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) August 22, 2023
Outman is hitting .252/.355/.432 (.788 OPS) in 115 games and 422 plate appearances.
Yes, he strikes out a lot (135 Ks against 50 walks) but has power and speed, as evidenced by his 15 home runs and 14 stolen bases.
He is also very solid with the glove in the outfield.
Perhaps MLB Pipeline omitted his name because he is slashing .182/.308/.364 since August 8: as stated, power rankings often prioritize recent performance.
However, Outman should at least be in the top ten, no questions asked.
He has been an important player for the NL West’s best team, and deserves more consideration.
In fact, despite his recent cold streak, he has made in-season strides in managing the strike zone.
Outman is a big part of the Dodgers’ present and future.
Too bad the league is sleeping on his production and, especially, his potential.
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