Outman gives new meaning to 'bi-cycle'

Triple-A Oklahoma City won't go another 11 years between cycles. In fact, it didn't even go one week.

James Outman saw to that ... again.

In a season that is shaping up to be magical, the No. 13 Dodgers prospect hit for the cycle for the second time in four games and drove in five runs to power Oklahoma City past Round Rock, 17-8, on Tuesday at Dell Diamond. Outman completed his first cycle Friday with a walk-off homer against El Paso.

Outman's latest milestone may not have been quite as thrilling as his initial foray in the world of cycles, but it was no less historic. With the hardest parts of his endeavor out of the way, it appeared the 25-year-old might fall short after he walked in consecutive plate appearances in the seventh and eighth innings, however a rally in the ninth provided him the opportunity.

No OKC player had hit for the cycle in 11 years until James Outman did it Friday.

Well, guess what?

He just did it again for the second time in four games!!! pic.twitter.com/oXUMdtqf4p

— Oklahoma City Dodgers (@okc_dodgers) August 31, 2022

Outman didn't miss, slicing a first-pitch single to left field that brought in two runs and made him the first professional player to cycle twice in one season since the Brewers' Christian Yelich in 2018.

The Sacramento State product kicked off his night with a three-run homer, his ninth Triple-A jack and 25th across two Minor League levels. He doubled in his next at-bat and tripled -- his fifth in 32 games with Oklahoma City after tallying one in 68 Double-A contests -- two innings later.

Thanks to an offense that collected 17 hits, Outman made the most of his last chance in the ninth.

The Redwood City, Calif., native is no stranger to eye-opening performances. Outman flirted with a cycle in his Major League debut on July 31, when he homered in his first at-bat as a big leaguer. Although his stay in Los Angeles lasted only five days and four games, he made the most of it with a .462/.563/.846 slash line in 13 at-bats.

His Minor League production has been no less impressive. The 2017 Draft pick is having his best year by far. After posting a career-high .866 OPS across two Minor League levels in 2021, Outman is sporting a .996 mark this season. He's achieved personal bests across the board, slashing .298/.398/.598 with 57 extra-base hits, 25 homers, 90 RBIs and 83 runs in 100 games with Double-A Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

Tuesday's game was the fifth in which Outman collected five or more RBIs in a game, all coming since his promotion to Triple-A. Not coincidentally, the outfielder has driven in 45 runs in 32 games he's played in the Pacific Coast League, including 16 in 10 contests this month.

He's been even hotter in the past week, going 15-for-23 (.652) with 12 extra-base hits and 18 RBIs in his previous six games.