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Tommy Edman

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Tommy Edman
Edman with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022
Los Angeles Dodgers – No. 25
Utility player
Born: (1995-05-09) May 9, 1995 (age 29)
Pontiac, Michigan, U.S.
Bats: Switch
Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 8, 2019, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)
Batting average.263
Home runs59
Runs batted in242
Stolen bases112
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Thomas Hyunsu Edman (Korean: 곽현수; Hanja: 郭賢洙;[1] born May 9, 1995) is an American professional baseball utility player for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals. Edman also represents the South Korean national team in international competition.

Born in Pontiac, Michigan, and raised in San Diego, Edman played college baseball at Stanford University for three seasons before being selected by the Cardinals in the sixth round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. He played in their minor league system before making his MLB debut in 2019 and quickly becoming a part of their starting lineup, playing various infield and outfield positions. He won a Gold Glove Award as the National League's top defensive second baseman in 2021. The Cardinals traded Edman to the Dodgers at the 2024 trade deadline, where he won NLCS MVP honors and helped the Dodgers win the 2024 World Series over the New York Yankees.

Amateur career

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Edman graduated from La Jolla Country Day School in La Jolla, California, in 2013, where he was selected to an All-Academic Team.[2] He attended Stanford University, where he played college baseball for the Stanford Cardinal. After his freshman year, he played in the New England Collegiate League for the Newport Gulls, where he was named an All-Star and was named best defensive player.[3] After his sophomore season in 2015, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he batted .304,[4] was named starting second baseman for the East Division All-Star team,[5] and helped lead the Red Sox to the league championship.[6] As a junior in 2016, Edman started every game at shortstop and batted .286 with 24 RBIs and led Stanford in runs (35), hits (61), triples (4) and stolen bases (8) in 54 games, earning a spot on the Pac-12 Conference first team.[7]

Professional career

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Minor leagues

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Edman with the Peoria Chiefs in 2017

The St. Louis Cardinals selected Edman in the sixth round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.[8] Edman signed with the Cardinals and was assigned to the State College Spikes, where he spent the whole season, posting a .286 batting average with four home runs, 33 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases in 22 attempts over 66 games.[8] He was named a New York-Penn League All-Star with the Spikes.[9] In 2017, he played for the Peoria Chiefs, Palm Beach Cardinals, and Springfield Cardinals, batting a combined .261 with five home runs and 55 RBIs in 119 total games between the three clubs.[10]

Edman began the 2018 season with Springfield, where he was named a Texas League All-Star.[11] During the season, he reached base in 32 straight games, breaking Springfield's all-time record.[12] He was promoted to the Memphis Redbirds at the end of the season, helping them win the Pacific Coast League title and was named a co-MVP of the PCL playoffs, along with teammate Randy Arozarena.[13] In 126 games between Springfield and Memphis, Edman slashed .301/.354/.402 with seven home runs, 41 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases in 35 attempts.[14] After the season, the Cardinals assigned Edman to the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League (AFL).[15]

St. Louis Cardinals

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2019

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Edman with the Cardinals in 2021

Edman began the 2019 season back with Memphis, batting .305/.356/.513 with seven home runs, 29 RBIs, and nine stolen bases over 49 games.[16] On June 8, his contract was selected and he was called up to the major leagues for the first time.[17] He made his debut that night as a pinch hitter versus the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.[18] Edman recorded his first MLB hit on June 14 against Steven Matz of the New York Mets[19] and his first career home run on June 20 against Tayron Guerrero of the Miami Marlins.[20] On July 18, he hit his first career grand slam off of Robert Stephenson of the Cincinnati Reds.[21] Over 92 regular-season games with St. Louis in 2019, Edman slashed .304/.350/.500 with 11 home runs, 36 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases in 16 attempts.[22] He had the fastest sprint speed of all major league third basemen at 29.4 feet/second.[23] In the post-season, he had six hits, including three doubles, in 19 at-bats in the Division Series but was hitless in 14 at-bats in the National League Championship Series against the Washington Nationals.[22]

2020

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Edman was named to the starting third baseman for the Cardinals in the pandemic shortened 2020 season.[24][25] Over 204 at-bats, he batted .250/.317/.368 with five home runs and 26 RBIs.[22] He had three hits in 14 at-bats during the 2020 National League Wild Card Series.[26]

2021

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In 2021, Edman was named the club's starting second baseman after the departure of Kolten Wong and the acquisition of Nolan Arenado.[27] He earned the Major League Baseball Player of the Week Award for the National League after batting .426 with two home runs from August 23 through August 29.[28] Edman appeared in 159 games for the 2021 season, slashing .262/.308/.387 with 11 home runs, 56 RBIs, 41 doubles, and thirty stolen bases over 641 at-bats.[29] His 41 doubles tied with Ozzie Albies for second in the National League, after Bryce Harper's 42.[30] He won the Gold Glove Award at second base, one of five Cardinals to win the award that year, an MLB record.[31] In the one-game Wild Card Game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he had three hits in five at-bats with two stolen bases, but the Cardinals lost on a walk-off home run.[32]

2022

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Edman returned as the Cardinals' starting second baseman to open the 2022 season.[33] In mid-May, after the demotion of starting shortstop Paul DeJong and the call-up of top second base prospect Nolan Gorman, Edman moved to shortstop.[34][35] On June 11, 2022, Edman hit his first career walk-off home run and RBI, a two-run home run that secured a 5–4 victory versus the Cincinnati Reds.[36] He finished the 2022 season slashing .265/.324/.400 with 13 home runs, 57 RBIs, 31 doubles, and 32 stolen bases over 577 at-bats in 153 games.[37] He had one hit in six at-bats in the Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, which the Cardinals lost in two games.[38]

2023

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Edman in 2023

On January 13, 2023, Edman agreed to a one-year, $4.2 million contract with the Cardinals, avoiding salary arbitration.[39] He appeared in 153 games (mainly at shortstop, second base, and center field) and batted .265 with 13 home runs, 57 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases.[40]

2024

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Edman and the Cardinals agreed to a two-year deal worth $16.5 million on January 22, 2024, again avoiding salary arbitration.[41] After undergoing wrist surgery in the offseason, he was shut down during spring training due to renewed wrist discomfort.[42] On May 6, Edman was transferred to the 60–day injured list.[43]

Los Angeles Dodgers

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On July 29, 2024, the Cardinals traded Edman to his home state Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-team deal that also sent Michael Kopech and Oliver Gonzalez to the Dodgers, Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham to St. Louis, and sent Miguel Vargas, Alexander Albertus, and Jeral Pérez to the Chicago White Sox.[44] He made his season debut with the Dodgers on August 19.[45] Edman played in 37 games for the Dodgers, splitting time between shortstop and center field, with a .237 average, six homers and 20 RBI.[22] He had four hits in 17 at-bats (.235 average) in the 2024 NLDS.[22]

In the National League Championship Series, Edman took home the series MVP honors that helped lead the Dodgers to the World Series by defeating the New York Mets in six games, hitting a two-run home run in the Game 6 clincher.[46] Edman hit .407 in the series and tied the Dodgers club record by notching 11 RBIs in one postseason series.[22] He subsequently won his first World Series championship, when the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the series. He batted .294 (5 for 17) with one home run.[47]

International career

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In 2023, Edman was called to the South Korea national baseball team. He played during the 2023 World Baseball Classic as an infielder. In 11 trips to the plate, he had 2 hits and 1 walk. The team did not progress past pool play.[48]

Personal life

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Edman is the son of Maureen Kwak and John Edman, Jr. He has Korean heritage from his mother’s side[49] and has European heritage from his father's side. His father John played four years of college baseball at Williams College in Massachusetts,[50] and is a teacher and varsity baseball coach at La Jolla Country Day School, Edman's alma mater.[51] His mother Maureen was born in South Korea and moved to the United States as a child.[52] Edman's older brother, John, works in research and development for the Minnesota Twins.[53] His younger sister, Elise, played volleyball at Davidson College[54] and worked as a systems engineer for the Cardinals.

On November 23, 2019, Edman married his wife, Kristen. The couple had originally planned the wedding for October 5 but were forced to reschedule due to the Cardinals' participation in the 2019 National League Division Series.[55] The couple has one child.

Edman is a Christian,[56] and has said, “Obviously, as a baseball player, your goal is to win the World Series. But I think for me, my goal is to be able to use the platform that I have to impact as many people as I can. It’s important for me as a Christian to be able to spread the word of God as much as I can.”[57]

References

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  1. ^ "韓国野球史初の外国籍選手エドマンがついに代表合流！滞在期間には祖母との食事も予定【WBC2023】". スポーツソウル. March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  2. ^ Lowe, Shauntel (June 4, 2013). "La Jolla Country Day's Edman Named All-Academic Team Captain". La Jolla, CA Patch. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  3. ^ "NECBL Unveils 2014 Awards and Honors". NECBL. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  4. ^ "Tommy Edman - Profile". Pointstreak.com. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
  5. ^ "Five Y-D Players Land All-Star Laurels". CCBL. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
  6. ^ "Y-D Red Sox win back-to-back titles, Mycock Trophy". CCBL. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
  7. ^ "FROM CARDINAL TO CARDINALS". Stanford University. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Tommy Edman Amateur, College and Minor League Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  9. ^ "Spikes players contribute to South's win in New York-Penn League All-Star Game". Centre Daily News. August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  10. ^ "Tommy Edman Stats, Highlights, Bio". MiLB.com. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  11. ^ "Cardinals All-Star Weekend Recap – The Baby Bird Nest". Cardinalschirps.mlblogs.com. June 27, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  12. ^ "'Riders clip Cards, 6-5, in 11 innings". MiLB.com. June 30, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  13. ^ Rice, Megan (September 15, 2018). "Memphis Redbirds claim back-to-back PCL titles for the first time". WREG.com. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  14. ^ "Tommy Edman Stats, Highlights, Bio". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  15. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals Prospect at Arizona Fall League". KMOX-AM. October 8, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  16. ^ "Seven of Top-15 Cardinals Prospects Featured on Redbirds Roster | Redbirds". Milb.com. April 4, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  17. ^ Goold, Derrick (June 8, 2019). "Cardinals call up switch-hitting rookie Tommy Edman to replace Gyorko (sore back)". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  18. ^ "Caratini helps rally Cubs past Cardinals 9-4". FOX2now.com. Associated Press. June 8, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  19. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals vs New York Mets Box Score: June 14, 2019". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  20. ^ RotoWire Staff (June 21, 2019). "Cardinals' Tommy Edman: Clubs first major-league homer". CBSSports.com. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  21. ^ [1]Archived July 19, 2019, at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ a b c d e f "Tommy Edman Statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  23. ^ "Statcast Sprint Speed Leaderboard | baseballsavant.com". Baseballsavant.mlb.com. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  24. ^ Rogers, Anne (July 23, 2020). "Cardinals set 2020 Opening Day roster". mlb.com. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  25. ^ Hummel, Rick (October 18, 2024). "Edman is the Cardinals' second baseman, but would move if he had to". STLtoday.com. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  26. ^ "2020 Wild Card Series San Diego Padres over St. Louis Cardinals (2-1)". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  27. ^ Silver, Zachary (February 3, 2021). "Rover no more, Edman inherits second base". MLB.com. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  28. ^ "Salvador Perez, Tommy Edman are Players of the Week". MLB.com.
  29. ^ "When is the Dodgers Cardinals wild card game? Time, channel - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. October 5, 2021.
  30. ^ "Tommy Two Bags: Edman shows knack for finding scoring position as Cardinals extend streak".
  31. ^ Silver, Zachary (November 7, 2021). "Five Cardinals win 2021 NL Gold Glove Awards". MLB.com. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  32. ^ "2021 Wild Card Game Los Angeles Dodgers over St. Louis Cardinals (1-0)". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  33. ^ Silver, Zachary (February 3, 2021). "Rover no more, Edman inherits second base". MLB.com. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  34. ^ "Cardinals' Tommy Edman: Shifting to shortstop". May 19, 2022.
  35. ^ "Cardinals' Tommy Edman: May move to shortstop". May 10, 2022.
  36. ^ Murphy, Alex (June 11, 2022). "Cardinals' Tommy Edman Hits Walk-Off Two-Run Homer v. Reds". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  37. ^ "Tommy Edman Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com.
  38. ^ "2022 Wild Card Series Philadelphia Phillies over St. Louis Cardinals (2-0)". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  39. ^ "2023 MLB Arbitration Tracker". MLBTradeRumors. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  40. ^ Gordon, Jeff (October 4, 2023). "Injuries, hitter regression mean frustrating season for Cardinals: Gordon's final grades". STLtoday.com.
  41. ^ "Cardinals, Tommy Edman agree to 2-year deal, avoid arbitration". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  42. ^ "Cardinals center fielder Tommy Edman shut down; IL stint expected". espn.com. March 14, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  43. ^ McDonald, Darragh (May 6, 2024). "Cardinals Select Chris Roycroft". MLBTradeRumors.com. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  44. ^ Nightengale, Bob (July 29, 2024). "Cardinals land Erick Fedde, Tommy Pham in 3-way trade with Dodgers, White Sox". USA Today. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  45. ^ Wexler, Sarah (August 19, 2024). "Muncy HRs in return as LA flexes 'relentless,' healthy attack". MLB.com. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  46. ^ McCalvy, Adam (October 20, 2024). "Edman plays the role of LA superstar to win NLCS MVP". MLB.com. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  47. ^ "2024 World Series Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees (4-1)". Baseball Reference. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  48. ^ "The Official Site of Major League Baseball". MLB.com.
  49. ^ "Baseball official to meet with MLB players of Korean descent to gauge WBC interest: sources". The Korea Times. September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  50. ^ Kwak, Donnie (July 12, 2019). "My Cousin Tommy Is a Major Leaguer". The Ringer. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  51. ^ Gensterblum, James (July 14, 2016). "Tommy Edman latest in long line of standout athletes in family with Petoskey ties". Petosky News. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  52. ^ "(Spring Training) (Yonhap Interview) Half-Korean Cardinal eager to build friendship with new S. Korean pitcher". Yonhap News Agency. February 13, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  53. ^ "Front Office Directory". MLB.com. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  54. ^ "Elise Edman - Volleyball". Davidson College Athletics. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  55. ^ Miller, Corey (November 25, 2019). "Cardinals' Tommy Edman gets married after postseason baseball postponed original plans". KSDK. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  56. ^ Kruse, Ethan. "Tommy Edman - Finding Strength". His Huddle. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  57. ^ Horlacher, Bill (September 6, 2019). "Spikes' Alum Tommy Edman Finds a Perch with the Cardinals". Retrieved February 5, 2022.
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