One of the biggest question marks coming into Spring Training was who should start in the outfield for the Dodgers. The Dodgers have Trayce Thompson returning who resurrected his career last year, and we all know that Chris Taylor can play anywhere the club needs him to play.Â
The Dodgers also acquired Jason Heyward in the off-season and the buzz has been all about swing changes for him and, by all accounts, the organization seems to feel as if they can tap into some of his raw ability.Â
James Outman has quickly turned into a fan favorite with the way he started Spring Training and I think the acquisition of David Peralta caught a lot of people by pleasant surprise, especially after seeing how well he played in the WBC.
Then, there’s always Chris Taylor, but, I think we’re all pretty much at a consensus that his value to the club is his versatility. He can play Center field one day, short stop the next, then third base on the following day. By being so versatile, he allows the club to have flexibility to their roster because they don’t have to put guys on the 40-man or 26-man specifically for any one position.
The club, because of the big basket of roles Taylor can play, can focus on just simply putting the best players on the roster after you get past the every day starters like Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.
That’s why guys like Jonny DeLuca or Andy Pages, who are both outfielders amongst an already crowded outfield competition, can make the 40-man. The Dodgers don’t need immediate help in the infield, which might push an outfield prospect like the 2 above off the 40-man, because Taylor can play infield as well.Â
So, the question is, who should play?
The most obvious statement in the history of statements is that Mookie Betts will be the starting Right Fielder for most of the games. and I only say most because Doc has said that he will play 40 games or so at 2nd base.
So who will start in the other 2 spots?
DAVID PERALTA COMES UP CLUTCH 💪🇻🇪
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 12, 2023
📺: DOM vs VEN on FS1 & the FOX Sports App pic.twitter.com/BxzfH4CPsZ
David Peralta would be my guess as far as left field. As a matter of fact, I would come close to saying that, at this point, he’s almost a lock. Peralta has 9 years of Major League experience and that is something the Dodgers absolutely love, and something that, in my opinion, gives him the head start if not the slam dunk.Â
The club signed him to a $6.5 million contract during a time where it was, at least conceivably, possible that they could have stayed under the luxury tax. They didn’t sign him to sit him on the bench in favor of veterans that he has out-performed his entire career, in my opinion. They also didn’t pick him up to put him on the bench in favor of an experiment, which any rookie is, because they don’t have a track record.
They picked him up because he has a track record of success at the MLB level and the organization almost always falls on that side over the unknown or unproven.Â
Peralta is a lifetime .281 hitter with an OPS of .796, so he’s been a good offensive player in his career and he just posted a .357 average in the WBC for Venezuela, so he has momentum.Â
This swing is Jason Heyward's blueprint. Watch how flat his hands travel through the zone & how he starts "above" the ball, then turns the barrel with his top hand through contact. This will keep him from "lifting", and give him the chance at consistent but hard contact. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/OFQ3PNR9PA
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) March 18, 2023
Jason Heyward has made some swing changes and has looked good at times, and we all know he is an incredible athlete, so the Dodgers are going to give him every chance to be the starting Center Fielder, I have no doubt about that. Check out the video above to see some of those adjustments where he has flattened his swing and created deeper timing.Â
Heyward is a lifetime .257 hitter with an OPS of .745, but he’s hit just .204 and .214 in the last 2 years. That, in my opinion, won’t matter to the Dodgers, at least initially.Â
Like Chris Taylor and Max Muncy, the organization is going to take the stance that they can fix Heyward and they will do so until proven wrong. He will be considered fixed until it’s obvious he’s not and can’t be, and that process will take a while, in my opinion.Â
Trayce Thompson: From Trial to Triumph
That leaves Trayce Thompson as a platoon player that also adds elite defensive depth. It also allows the Dodgers to be more selective in terms of the matchups for Thompson offensively which should make him more productive.Â
Thompson had a career year last year, but hit just .159 in September, just .154 in the post season and is only hitting .087 so far in Spring Training. He did have a good spurt in the 4 regular season games last year in October when he got 5 hits in 9 at-bats, and we know he plays great defense and is an awesome teammate and person, and the Dodgers greatly value those qualities.
And, they have the luxury to value those qualities with a guy like Thompson because there is plenty of offensive fire power around him.Â
That leaves the question of what to do with James Outman. Dave Roberts just announced that Outman will be making the opening day roster, so that is super exciting and totally deserves. He hit .294 with OKC last year, hit 31 home runs, had 106 RBIs, hit for 21 cycles and 2 grand slams.Â
He just doesn’t have anything left to prove at the Minor League level, and whether or not he becomes an everyday starter at the MLB level can only be determined at this point by how he does against Major League competition.Â
Outman has a football mentality, which allows him to enjoy the big environments and the big moments. Playing in front of Major League crowds and being asked to perform in much more meaningful situations will make him better. He plays with energy, and adrenaline makes him better, and when he gets in a zone, he carries teams offensively.Â
All of that, plus the fact that he has taken advantage of his opportunities should land him a spot on the 26-man and a starting spot in Center Field, in my opinion. He’s on the 26-man roster, now the only question is, will he be a starter.Â
All players, especially rookies, need every day playing time, so it would be hard to imagine the Dodgers keeping him up only to sit on the bench. That would suggest that he is going to start, maybe on a daily basis, but, likely in a platoon scenario when the matchups are favorable for his.
I am super pumped about Outman making the opening day roster because, as much as I enjoy getting to watch him play in person, I really wouldn’t be all that fired up about seeing him again in OKC.Â
Those are my thoughts on the outfield competition, I would love to hear from you and what you think. Leave a comment below and let us know what your thoughts are and who you think should be starting in the outfield.Â
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