| James Outman | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Outman with theLos Angeles Dodgers in 2024 | |
| Minnesota Twins – No. 43 | |
| Center fielder | |
| Born: (1997-05-14)May 14, 1997 (age 28) Redwood City, California, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 31, 2022, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Batting average | .214 |
| Home runs | 34 |
| Runs batted in | 95 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| |
James Matthew Outman (born May 14, 1997) is an American professionalbaseballcenter fielder for theMinnesota Twins ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for theLos Angeles Dodgers. He made his MLB debut in 2022.
James Matthew Outman was born on May 14, 1997, inRedwood City, California. He attendedJunípero Serra High School inSan Mateo, California. In high school, he hit .305 with a .508 slugging percentage and .962 fielding percentage and also playedlinebacker andtight end for the football team.[1] Outman was a fan of theSan Francisco Giants growing up.[2]
Outman attendedCalifornia State University, Sacramento and playedcollege baseball for theSacramento State Hornets. He hit .249 in 147 games over three seasons with 23 homers and 99 RBI.[3] He also played for theHumboldt Crabs in 2016[3] and theBethesda Big Train of theCal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League in 2017, where he was the Team MVP and League Offensive Player of the Year.[4]
TheLos Angeles Dodgers selected Outman in the seventh round of the2018 MLB Draft.[5] He played with theOgden Raptors in 2018 and theGreat Lakes Loons in 2019.[3] After missing the 2020 season as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic, Outman began 2021 with the Loons, where he hit .250 with nine home runs and 30 RBI.[3] He was promoted to the Double-ATulsa Drillers in July and was namedDouble-A Central hitter of the week two weeks later when he had seven extra base hits, including three home runs in six games against theSpringfield Cardinals.[6] He wound up hitting .289 with nine homers and 24 RBI in 39 games for Tulsa.[3]
The Dodgers assigned him to theGlendale Desert Dogs of theArizona Fall League after the season, where he was selected to the Fall Stars Game for the best prospects in the league.[7] Outman was added to the Dodgers' 40-man roster in November 2021.[8] He began the 2022 season with Tulsa before being promoted to the Triple-AOklahoma City Dodgers at the end of June.[9] Between the two levels in 2022, he appeared in 125 games, hitting .294 with 31 homers and 106 RBIs.[3]
Outman was called up to the Major Leagues for the first time on July 30.[10] He made his debut as the starting right fielder the following day against theColorado Rockies and hit a home run in his first MLB at-bat off ofGermán Márquez. He had three hits in his debut with the homer, a double and three RBI.[11] After his second career game the following night, he became the first Dodgers player to reach base seven or more times in his first two career games sinceCasey Stengel in 1912.[12] Outman appeared in four games in the majors in 2022, with six hits in 13 at-bats, including two doubles, the one home run and 13 RBI.[13]
Outman made the Dodgersopening day roster for the first time in 2023, as the team's starting center fielder against theArizona Diamondbacks. He hit a two-run homer offCole Sulser to give the Dodgers their first homer of the season.[14] On April 20 against theChicago Cubs, Outman hit two home runs including the go-aheadgrand slam in the ninth.[15] That was Outman's first multi-homer game, a feat that he repeated two days later when he hit another pair of home runs against the Cubs.[16] Outman was selected as theNational League Rookie of the Month for April.[17] He played in 151 games, batting .248 with 23 home runs and 70 RBI.[13]
Outman again began the season as the Dodgers' center fielder. However, he struggled at the plate in the first couple of months, hitting just .147 with three home runs, and was optioned back to the minors on May 17.[18] He spent most of the rest of the season in the minors, except for July, when he was recalled.[19] He hit .147 with four home runs and 11 RBI in 53 games in the majors[13] and .279 with 17 home runs and 46 RBI in 69 games in the minors.[3]
Outman was on the roster for theTokyo Series to open the season but did not appear in either of the two games and was optioned back to theOklahoma City Comets to start the minor league season.[20] In 70 games for Oklahoma City, Outman batted .289 with 20 homers and 74 RBI.[3] He also played in 22 games for the Dodgers, but hit only .103 with two home runs and four RBI.[13]
On July 31, 2025, the Dodgers traded Outman to theMinnesota Twins in exchange for pitcherBrock Stewart.[21][22]