2024 review: Tommy Edman

Edman was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline, became a driving force for the Dodgers’ offense in the postseason.

At the start of the 2024 season, the St. Louis Cardinals were without their utility infielder Tommy Edman for the duration of spring training in Jupiter, Florida.

He began the season on the injured list after right wrist surgery the previous October. Edman was transferred to the 60-day IL in May and was cleared for a rehab assignment in July. In his eight games with Double-A Springfield, Edman slashed .207/.294/.241 with four RBIs, with all of his games coming at designated hitter, and interrupted by a sprained ankle

The Dodgers at the trade deadline got Edman from St. Louis and Michael Kopech from the Chicago in a three-team deal. Both players would be significant contributors throughout the final stretch of the regular season and all throughout the postseason.

Edman played another six more rehab games with Triple-A Oklahoma City before being activated on August 19. Edman was quick to shut down any worries of starting off the season feeling any residual effects from his wrist injury, noting how he felt as good as he would have at the start of of spring training.

“I felt good. I had kinda like what you were saying. I had three different rehab stints and I got a lot of ABs in between, so I feel like I pretty much was able to simulate close to a full spring training… I feel as good now than I feel like I would have at the start of spring training.”

Over his first 11 games as a Dodger in August, Edman posted moderate offensive numbers, slashing .275/.286/.350 with three RBI and three stolen bases while splitting time at shortstop and center field. In September, he began to show the Dodgers why they initially traded for him.

Edman would maintain his early production through the first eight games of September until he had his coming out party during the Dodgers’ home series against the Chicago Cubs. Against the crafty Japanese southpaw Shota Imanaga, Edman launched his first Dodger home run down the left field line to tie the score in the second inning. In his next at-bat against Imanaga, Edman launched his second home run of the game to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.

It was just the second multi-home run game of Edman’s career, having previously done so against the Kansas City Royals on August 12, 2023.

Edman followed up his opening act against Imanaga by once again connecting for a pair of home runs the following game against the Cubs, this time doing so from both sides of the plate. He became the 10th Dodger in franchise history to record a multi-home run game from both sides of the plate, and the first to do it since Yasmani Grandal against the Phillies on July 24, 2018. It was the 12th time in franchise history that a player had two consecutive multi-home run games.

Never before had Edman had two consecutive multi-home runs games in his entire professional career. After the Cubs series, Edman had raised his batting average from .282 to an even .300 and his OPS from .645 to .821.

Edman added two more home runs in the regular season, coming in Atlanta and Miami respectively. Over an eight game stretch between September 10 and September 18, Edman slashed .273/.314/.879 with six home runs and 10 RBI, with eight of his nine hits going for extra bases.

2024 NLCS MVP

In the midst of falling behind to the San Diego Padres in the NLDS, shortstop Miguel Rojas aggravated his adductor strain while making a play to his right, rendering him unavailable for the remainder of the series and eventually for the entire NLCS and forcing Edman to resume duties at shortstop.

Edman struggled in the five games against San Diego, batting just .235 with a .471 OPS, but etched his name in both Dodgers and postseason history during a six game NLCS against the New York Mets.

His crowning moment came in Game 6 against Sean Manaea, who previously silenced the Dodgers offense in Game 2. Edman punched a two-run double down the left field line to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead in the first inning, following up with a two-run home run to blow Manaea out of the water, catapulting the Dodgers to clinch a World Series berth. Edman went on to slash .407/.393/.630 in the series with a home run and 11 RBI, and was rightfully named series MVP. His 11 hits and 11 RBI in the series are tied for the team’s franchise record in a postseason series.

Edman continued his consistent play in the World Series, going on to slash .294/.400/.588 with his only RBI coming from a solo home run off of Yankees’ starter Carlos Rodon in Game 2 to put the Dodgers ahead 1-0 early.

On the surface, Edman’s overall average and on-base percentage of .237 and .294 suggest that he underperformed in the regular season, however, his splits against right and left handed pitching paint a different picture.

Edman was mediocre against right handed pitching, hitting just .181 with two home runs, but was a force to be reckoned with against lefties, hitting a remarkable .412 with four home runs, and was even better at Dodger Stadium against southpaws with a .524 average and three home runs.

2024 particulars

Age: 29

Stats: .237/.294/.417, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 6 SB, 5 2B, 98 wRC+, 0.9 rWAR, 0.9 fWAR in 37 games

Salary: $7 million (about $2.37 million with Dodgers)

Game of the year

Edman’s breakout game of the year and best game of the year came against Shota Imanaga and the Chicago Cubs on September 10, where he blasted his first two Dodger home runs and ignited an eight game stretch that saw him hit six home runs with an OPS of 1.193.

Roster status

After an outstanding postseason, Edman and the Dodgers agreed to a five-year, $74 million extension on November 30. Edman received a $17 million signing bonus on December 10, and will earn $5 million for the 2025 season.