Dodgers Manager Says Young Outfielder is 'Everyday Player'

It hasn't always shown up in the box scores, but Andy Pages' comfortability playing center field for the Dodgers has gone a long way toward keeping his name in the lineup.

Pages became the Dodgers' center fielder almost by default last year. When James Outman failed to replicate his 2023 season at the plate, and with the organization not wanting to tether Kiké Hernández or Chris Taylor to a single position, Pages got the lion's share of innings in center field last year.

The results were uneven. Pages was a below average center fielder by DRS (-8), OAA (-1) and UZR (-4.7). Only four NL center fielders ranked lower in the SABR Defensive Index, a component in Gold Glove Award voting.

Not only is Pages a plus fielder this season, his 10 Defensive Runs Saved rank third in MLB — not among center fielders, but among all players at every position.

"Andy is an everyday player. And I think that I’ve shown that,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group. “He’s earned it.”

The Dodgers have been fortunate to be able to flex switch-hitting utility player Tommy Edman to second base to allow Pages to acclimate to center field. But the knockdown effect of Pages' acclimation cost Chris Taylor his job. The veteran was released Sunday with Edman returning from the injured list.

Now that Edman is back, he's seemingly entrenched at second base. Outman is back in Triple-A and rookie Hyeseong Kim is the top left-handed hitter off the bench. Pages, meanwhile, is no less entrenched in center.

Pages, 24, has helped his case to stay in the lineup by making strides at the plate, too. His .274/.326/.482 slash line, up from .248/.305/.407 as a rookie in 2024, only tells part of the story.

Pages' strikeout percentage is down, from 24.4 to 23.2. His line-drive (27.1 to 29.4) and fly ball (30.4 to 34.1) rates are up.

Pages went 4 for 17 (.235) with two home runs and four RBIs in the 2024 National League Championship Series against the New York Mets. But his five strikeouts and no walks in the series left something to be desired, and Pages did not play in the World Series.

This year, Pages' walk rate is down but his pitches per plate appearance are up (3.87 to 4.02), suggesting he's being a more selective hitter at the plate.

The result is a more well-rounded hitter and fielder who ranks third on the Dodgers in plate appearances, behind only Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, and looks like a fixture in the middle of the lineup — and the outfield — for years to come.