Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder James Outman went from finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting three seasons ago to being traded to the Minnesota Twins at the 2025 deadline after struggling to repeat his rookie season success.
Now, he is with the Detroit Tigers. While he is struggling overall with his new club, he’s surprisingly been successful in one surprising way: crushing left-handed pitching.
Former Los Angeles Dodgers Rookie Of The Year Candidate James Outman Crushing Lefties With Tigers
GettyDETROIT, MI – JUNE 26: James Outman #43 of the Detroit Tigers watches his three-run home run against the Houston Astros during the fourth inning at Comerica Park on June 26, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
The Twins, who acquired Outman from the Dodgers for right-handed reliever Brock Stewart last summer, designated Outman for assignment in early June after the outfielder hit just .156/.229/.250 over 70 plate appearances with Minnesota this year. The Tigers then claimed him off waivers, likely because of Parker Meadows’ and Javier Báez’s injuries. Outman is a strong defensive outfielder who can play center field, which is what Detroit needed.
While Outman’s overall numbers haven’t been much better with Detroit, as the outfielder is hitting .156/.222/.345 over 63 appearances with the team, his stats against southpaws are shockingly amazing.
Since joining the Tigers, Outman, a left-handed batter, has gone 5-for-8 with one home run, one triple, two walks and six RBI against lefties. For a left-handed hitter who has struggled immensely over the past few seasons, hitting just .145/.233/.293 (48 wRC+) over 437 plate appearances since 2024, Outman’s recent hot stretch vs. southpaws is extremely surprising to see.
Via WWJ 950’s Jeremy Otto on X: “Hinch on keeping Outman in for a left on left matchup that resulted in a triple: “I like the defense staying in the game more than even really the offense. He has put some pretty good swings together against lefties I don’t really want the league to know it””
Even during his strong rookie season (2023), where he posted 3.9 fWAR and a .248/.353/.437 (117 wRC+) slash line with 23 home runs and 70 RBI over 151 games, Outman didn’t hit southpaws all that well, slashing .254/.357/.308 (91 wRC+) with a 31.8% strikeout rate over 154 plate appearances.
Of course, Outman is likely due for regression against lefties. He’s only had 10 plate appearances against southpaws with Detroit after all. Regardless, it’s impressive to see, and the outfielder deserves credit for his success against lefties.
Detroit Tigers Slated To Play Philadelphia Phillies
Outman is in the Tigers’ lineup batting ninth and playing center field for the series finale of a three-game set between the Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies at Comerica Park in Detroit on Sunday. It’ll be a tough matchup for Outman, as Cy Young candidate Zach Wheeler (9-1, 2.28 ERA, 98 SO, 87 IP) is slated to make the start for the Phillies.
It looks like it’ll be a premier pitching matchup, as back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal (5-4, 3.06 ERA, 84 SO, 70 2/3 IP) is expected to start for the Tigers. The game is scheduled to begin at 1:40 p.m. EDT. Fans can watch the matchup on Detroit SportsNet and NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Former Dodgers Rookie Of The Year Candidate Is Quietly Crushing Lefties With Tigers