Has James Outman accomplished sufficient to make Dodgers roster?

PHOENIX — 

As he walked off one of many Camelback Ranch backfields Monday morning, Dodgers triple-A supervisor Travis Barbary crossed paths with outfield prospect James Outman.

“Have a day, Outty!” Barbary exclaimed, recent off watching the extremely touted 25-year-old crush three house runs in a stay batting apply session.

“I got one more, right?” Outman requested, jokingly.

Barbary laughed and shook his head.

“No,” he stated, glancing over the distant outfield fence Outman had repeatedly cleared with ease. “There’s no more balls left.”

Chalk it up as the newest stellar second of Outman’s standout spring — yet one more resounding assertion within the younger slugger’s bid to make the Dodgers’ opening day crew.

Coming into the season, Outman was seen as the highest outfielder within the membership’s system, however a participant who might nonetheless profit from extra minor league seasoning.

He was, in any case, only a few seasons faraway from an enormous overhaul of his mechanics. He’d logged solely 212 profession at-bats in triple A, not reaching the minors’ highest degree till halfway by final season.

And although he’d impressed in a quick debut within the majors final July — hitting a house run in his first at-bat and going six for 13 in 4 video games general — he’d additionally struck out seven instances, an indication that holes remained in his revamped swing.

Still, that preliminary style gave Outman a renewed yearning for the massive leagues.

“When he came back down … I asked him, ‘How was it?’ ” Barbary, who manages the group’s Oklahoma City affiliate, recalled this winter. “And he said, ‘All I want to do is get back, and I’m going to do whatever it takes.’ And he played great the rest of the year.”

Outman closed the marketing campaign on a tear, posting a .293 batting common and 1.018 on-base-plus-slugging share in triple A that included 15 house runs and two cycles throughout the span of per week.

That robust end has carried over to the spring.

In 23 Cactus League at-bats, Outman has 9 hits — 4 of them for further bases, two of them as no-doubt homers. He’s pushed in eight runs. And he’s struck out solely six instances, including three walks for an on-base-percentage of almost .500.

In stay batting apply Monday, his streak continued. Evan Phillips, Caleb Ferguson and Daniel Hudson all turned and watched Outman take one in all their pitches deep.

“My second time facing hitters in eight months,” joked Hudson, who just lately returned from a torn ACL, “and they got me facing Babe Ruth over here.”

And there’s actually an opportunity Outman might nonetheless be left off the opening day crew?

Apparently, sure, based mostly on the way in which supervisor Dave Roberts has tip-toed across the query in latest weeks.

“Is he big league ready? I would say he is,” Roberts stated. “How we shake out, that’s a different question. But yeah, he’s doing everything he can do.”

And because the clock ticks towards the tip of camp, there are a number of components at play.

Scouts have been cut up on how effectively Outman’s recreation would possibly translate to an prolonged huge league keep.

Though he has the uncooked energy and pure athleticism to be a doubtlessly productive MLB slugger, some evaluators have puzzled if his swing nonetheless has a couple of too many transferring items to carry up in opposition to higher-caliber pitchers able to altering speeds and attacking varied components of the plate.

The Dodgers might take into account going one other path with the roster spot that’s been left open by Gavin Lux’s season-ending harm. Other veteran choices within the infield and outfield stay in competition, reminiscent of Steven Duggar, Yonny Hernández and Luke Williams.

At the crux of the choice, although, is what the Dodgers consider is finest for Outman’s long-term future:

Guaranteed on a regular basis at-bats within the minor leagues, no less than for the opening leg of the season? Or extra of a part-time function with the massive league squad, which already has two left-handed-hitting outfielders penciled into its season-opening roster.

“High-class problems,” Roberts stated of the state of affairs. “This is good, the competition. Guys are performing, guys are competing. And we have a lot of great options.”

Outman declined to wade into the roster hypothesis Monday, saying he’s “trying not to think about it” as spring coaching enters its closing couple of weeks.

His latest focus has been on situational hitting and attempting to refine his strategy in high-leverage journeys to the plate.

Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Cincinnati Reds offered the latest take a look at. In the third inning, Outman popped out with the bases loaded. In his subsequent at-bat, he bounced again with an RBI double.

“Training the hitting aspect, rather than just the swinging aspect, is a big thing,” he stated.

The quick response caught Roberts’ eye.

“James is unique,” the supervisor stated. “I put his mentality in the [Dodgers catcher] Will Smith bucket, as far as [being] unflappable.”

It doesn’t imply, nevertheless, Outman isn’t having fun with his breakout spring efficiency.

Among the numerous methods the rookie has ingratiated himself to his new teammates, probably the most seen may be the pet rock he retains perched in his locker, a grey fist-sized stone with a toothy smile markered on as a face.

Outman initially obtained it early in his triple-A stint final 12 months, when Oklahoma City pitcher Marshall Kasowski handed it alongside as a very good luck appeal from the pitching employees.

“Hey, we used to have this for the pitchers,” Kasowski instructed Outman. “But we started giving up too many hits.”

Ironically, Outman famous, the present didn’t initially work.

“I wasn’t swinging it very well,” he stated.

Before lengthy, although, Outman discovered a groove he has but to lose.

So, the rock has stayed round as a minor superstition — going with him to spring coaching, street video games and, possibly sometime quickly, a stall within the house clubhouse of Dodger Stadium.

Times employees author Mike DiGiovanna contributed to this report.