All Bruins

UCLA Baseball Recruiting Class Spotlight: OF Kenny Oyama

The former LMU Lion will join the Bruins for their upcoming 2022 season

Benjamin Royer

(Photo Courtesy of Kenny Oyama/Twitter)

UCLA baseball has 14 new players coming to Westwood this fall to replace the 10 who got picked in the 2021 MLB Draft and even more who graduated and went elsewhere. From top recruits to under-the-radar prospects and high-profiles transfers, All Bruins is breaking all of them down to see what they could offer UCLA in 2022 and beyond.

To kick things off, here is the lowdown on LMU transfer Kenny Oyama.

As a rare incoming Division I transfer bat for the Bruins, outfielder Kenny Oyama jumps onto the roster after four seasons just a few miles down the 405.

Oyama appeared as an everyday starting outfielder for LMU since he joined their program in 2018. After his 2021 season with the Lions, the 5-foot-2 hitter chose his next step to be with UCLA back on July 17. This past season, Oyama posted his best season statistically, starting 48 games in center field, where he slashed .330/.412/.422 with 15 doubles and 16 stolen bases.

The El Toro High School (CA) alumnus could be an impact option for the Bruins and coach John Savage with outfielders Kevin Kendall, Pat Caulfield, Kyle Cuellar and Jarron Silva all graduating out of the program or being drafted.

The left-handed hitter brings a similar skill set that Caulfield has brought for the Bruins, all packed into a significantly smaller frame.

With an ability to play all three outfield positions and top-level speed shown in his stolen base numbers, Oyama gives Savage versatility similar to what Caulfield brought with his above-average hit tool and base-running awareness that fit perfectly into West Coast-style college ball.

The incoming redshirt senior shows a patient approach at the plate, much like many of Savage’s favorite past Bruins. Oyama’s 22 walks compared to his 24 strikeouts in the 2021 season proves the battles he has waged with opposing pitchers when he is at-bat.

The Bruins will be glad the spry outfielder is in their dugout for the upcoming 2022 season as opposed to the Lions’. In four games against the Bruins in 2021, Oyama hit .400 with six RBIs and two runs. Of the 18 runs LMU scored against UCLA, Oyama’s play led directly to eight of them.

Oyama just finished summer baseball in The New England Collegiate Baseball League with the Newport Gulls. His stat line hardly compared to his LMU production, only hitting .246 with 12 RBIs, but he still impressed with some Player of the Game efforts.

Prediction

Oyama brings a different pace to the Bruins that can make or break a game. With how Savage likes to play small ball, the outfielder should be able to hold down a starting spot in the outfield with some combination of JonJon Vaughns, Michael Curialle and rising freshmen Nick McLain and Malakhi Knight filling the other two positions. Look for Savage to call for steals whenever Oyama gets on base, as manufacturing runs will be a necessity for the heavily restructured Bruins squad in 2022.

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Benjamin Royer
BENJAMIN ROYER

Benjamin Royer is a contributing writer at All Bruins, in association with the FanNation and Sports Illustrated networks. Royer is a third-year student at UCLA, where he is a Sports contributor for the school's award-winning student-run newspaper, The Daily Bruin. Royer was previously the Sports Editor at The Valley Star, Los Angeles Valley College's independent newspaper, and he helped develop the Twinger Talk YouTube channel and The Double Play podcast. He is also a professional actor, previously appearing in programs on Showtime, ABC, Disney Channel, FOX and CBS.

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