Former Dodgers top prospect is drawing the ire of Tigers fans amid league-worst slide

What the heck happened to James Outman? That's a question more Los Angeles Dodgers fans should be asking themselves as his surprising drop off continues on Detroit.

A former NL Rookie of the Year candidate — he finished third, by the way — Outman started his career with a bang, going 6-for-13 with a home run in his first four games. From there, he earned the starting center fielder job with the Dodgers in 2023, and had a .790 OPS to boot. Annndddd he hasn't been the same since.

Outman was traded to the Minnesota Twins straight up for Brock Stewart. In Minnesota, Outman .558 OPS in 2025 (37 games), and a .479 OPS in 2026 (49 games) before the Twins finally gave up. Their AL Central rivals, the Tigers, were happy to give Outman another opportunity. They like are no longer feeling that way given his lack of production since.

You read that correctly. Outman has quite literally been the worst offensive player in the league of qualified hitters. In fact, it's pretty miraculous that Outman still has a spot on the Tigers roster given the return of Javier Baez from the injured list on Tuesday. Detroit opted to DFA fan favorite catcher Jake Rogers instead.

What's gone wrong with James Outman since leaving the Dodgers?

Outman's strikeout rate has long been his Achilles heel. Even during his breakout campaign in 2023, he had a strikeout rate of 32%, and his low contact rates have only increased since.

The Tigers added Outman as little more than a plus-defender who could come in as a pinch-runner or defensive replacement late in games. Instead, he's been forced into a bigger role due to injuries to Baez and Parker Meadows.

Outman's inability to stick in Los Angeles should speak volumes. If any team can develop talent at a regular clip, it's the Dodgers. Look no further than Andy Pages, LA's current center fielder and an NL All-Star this past season.

The difference between the two — among many, mind you — is strikeout rate. Pages only strikes out 23% of the time. Outman is nearly double that, and has never fixed his fatal flaw despite plenty of time in the minor leagues to figure it out.

Outman survived the Tigers latest roster purge when he arguably shouldn't have been. Rogers, while hitting under the Mendoza line, is at least a productive defensive catcher. Outman won't receive much playing time with Baez back in the fold.

Detroit will likely sell at the trade deadline. With that should come an influx of MLB-ready talent, as that's what they're reportedly seeking in trades for Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize. The Tigers only have so many roster spots, and up until this point, Outman is wasting one of those.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow