Tommy Edman Bio
Thomas Hyunsu Edman, born on May 9, 1995, in Pontiac, Michigan, is an American professional baseball utility player for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Known by the nickname “Tommy Tanks,” he has built a reputation as one of the most versatile players in the game, capable of contributing at second base, shortstop, third base, and the outfield. Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016, Edman reached the majors in 2019 and has since developed into a two-time World Series champion. Beyond his MLB career, he represents the South Korean national team in international competition, reflecting his Korean heritage.
Over the course of his career, Edman has combined contact hitting, speed, and dependable defense to carve out a steady role on contending teams. His journey from a sixth-round draft pick to a World Series hero underscores the value of perseverance and adaptability in modern baseball.
Early Life and Background
Thomas Hyunsu Edman was born in Pontiac, Michigan, but was raised in San Diego, California, where he spent the majority of his childhood. He is the son of Maureen Kwak (also known as Kwak Kyung-ah) and John Edman Jr. Through his mother, who was born in South Korea and moved to the United States as a child, Edman is of Korean heritage. Through his father, he is of European heritage. This dual background later opened the door for him to represent South Korea in international baseball competitions.
Baseball has long been a family tradition for the Edmans. His father, John Edman Jr., played four years of college baseball at Williams College in Massachusetts and later became a teacher and varsity baseball coach at La Jolla Country Day School, the same school Tommy would attend. Growing up around the game, with a coach for a father, helped shape Edman’s early understanding of fundamentals and work ethic. He has an older brother, John, who works in research and development for the Minnesota Twins, and a younger sister, Elise, who played volleyball at Davidson College and worked as a systems engineer for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Edman graduated from La Jolla Country Day School in 2013, where he earned a spot on an All-Academic Team. He then went on to attend Stanford University, where he played three seasons of college baseball for the Stanford Cardinal and developed into a polished middle infield prospect.
Path to Baseball
At Stanford, Edman steadily improved across three seasons and became a dependable presence in the Cardinal lineup. After his freshman year, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Newport Gulls in the New England Collegiate League, where he earned All-Star recognition and was named the league’s best defensive player. The following summer, he joined the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League, batted .304, was named the starting second baseman for the East Division All-Star team, and helped lead his team to the league championship.
As a junior in 2016, Edman started every game at shortstop and batted .286 with 24 runs batted in (RBIs). He led Stanford in runs, hits, triples, and stolen bases across 54 games, earning a place on the Pac-12 Conference first team. His strong final college season helped position him for the upcoming MLB Draft.
The St. Louis Cardinals selected Edman in the sixth round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. The selection marked the official start of his professional career and set the stage for his climb through the minor leagues.
Tommy Edman Career
Early Career (2016–2018)
After signing with the Cardinals, Edman was assigned to the State College Spikes, where he spent the entire 2016 season. He posted a .286 batting average with four home runs, 33 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases across 66 games, earning New York–Penn League All-Star honors. In 2017, he moved through three different affiliates — the Peoria Chiefs, Palm Beach Cardinals, and Springfield Cardinals — batting a combined .261 with five home runs and 55 RBIs in 119 games.
Edman’s development accelerated in 2018. He opened the year with Springfield, was named a Texas League All-Star, and reached base in 32 straight games, breaking Springfield’s all-time record. A late-season promotion to the Memphis Redbirds followed, and he helped them win the Pacific Coast League (PCL) title, earning co-MVP honors of the PCL playoffs alongside teammate Randy Arozarena. He finished 2018 with a .301 batting average, .354 on-base percentage, and .402 slugging percentage over 126 games. That winter, the Cardinals assigned him to the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League to continue his growth.
St. Louis Cardinals Breakthrough (2019–2023)
Edman opened the 2019 season back at Memphis, where he was outstanding before receiving his first major league call-up. On June 8, 2019, the Cardinals selected his contract, and he made his MLB debut that night as a pinch hitter against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. He recorded his first MLB hit on June 14 against Steven Matz of the New York Mets and his first career home run on June 20 against Tayron Guerrero of the Miami Marlins. On July 18, he blasted his first career grand slam off Robert Stephenson of the Cincinnati Reds. He finished 2019 slashing .304/.350/.500 with 11 home runs, 36 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases across 92 regular-season games, and he posted the fastest sprint speed of all MLB third basemen at 29.4 feet per second.
The shortened 2020 season saw Edman named the Cardinals’ starting third baseman. He batted .250/.317/.368 with five home runs and 26 RBIs in 227 plate appearances. In 2021, following the departure of Kolten Wong and the addition of Nolan Arenado, Edman was named the club’s starting second baseman. He earned National League Player of the Week honors in late August and appeared in 159 games, slashing .262/.308/.387 with 11 home runs, 56 RBIs, 41 doubles, and 30 stolen bases. His 41 doubles tied Ozzie Albies for second in the National League. Most notably, Edman won the Gold Glove Award at second base — one of five Cardinals to win the award that year, setting an MLB record.
Edman moved to shortstop in mid-2022 after Nolan Gorman’s promotion and the demotion of Paul DeJong, and on June 11, he hit his first career walk-off home run, a two-run shot that secured a 5–4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. He closed 2022 slashing .265/.324/.400 with 13 home runs, 57 RBIs, 31 doubles, and 32 stolen bases across 153 games. In January 2023, he agreed to a one-year, $4.2 million contract, and he appeared in 153 games in 2023, batting .265 with 13 home runs, 57 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases. In January 2024, he agreed to a two-year, $16.5 million deal with St. Louis, but he never appeared for the Cardinals in 2024 due to wrist surgery and a shutdown during spring training.
Los Angeles Dodgers Era (2024–Present)
On July 29, 2024, the Cardinals traded Edman to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-team deal that sent Michael Kopech and Oliver Gonzalez to Los Angeles, Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham to St. Louis, and Miguel Vargas, Alexander Albertus, and Jeral Pérez to the Chicago White Sox. Edman made his season debut with the Dodgers on August 19 and played 37 games, splitting time between shortstop and center field, batting .237 with six home runs and 20 RBIs.
Edman’s impact grew during the 2024 postseason. In the National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the New York Mets, he earned NLCS MVP honors, hitting .407 in the series and tying a Dodgers club record with 11 RBI in a postseason series, including a two-run home run in the Game 6 clincher. He then helped the Dodgers defeat the New York Yankees in five games to win his first World Series championship, batting .294 with one home run and one RBI in the Fall Classic. On November 29, 2024, he signed a five-year, $74 million contract extension with a sixth-year club option, locking him in through at least 2029.
Edman played second base as the Dodgers opened the 2025 season in Japan for the MLB Tokyo Series, where he hit the first home run of the 2025 season, a solo shot off Justin Steele of the Chicago Cubs. Ankle injuries limited him to 97 games, in which he batted .225 with 13 home runs and 49 RBIs. Despite the injuries, he remained a key postseason contributor, helping the Dodgers win their second straight World Series in seven games in 2025. In November 2025, the team announced he would require surgery to repair the lingering ankle injury. He was activated off the 60-day injured list on June 16.
Driving Style and Strengths
Edman’s value is built on versatility, contact hitting, and elite baserunning. He hits for average, uses the entire field, and consistently ranks among the fastest players in MLB, allowing him to stretch singles into doubles and steal bases at a high rate. His defensive flexibility to play second base, shortstop, third base, and the outfield at a high level makes him a rare everyday utility player.
Notable Events and Milestones
Edman owns a Gold Glove Award (2021), an NLCS MVP (2024), and two World Series championships (2024 and 2025). His first career grand slam came in 2019 off Cincinnati’s Robert Stephenson, and his Game 6 home run in the 2024 NLCS became one of the signature moments of that postseason run. His record of 11 RBI in a single postseason series tied a Dodgers club mark.
Tommy Edman Career Wins
Edman’s career is highlighted by team championships and individual awards rather than traditional wins-and-losses records. He is a two-time World Series champion (2024, 2025), a Gold Glove Award winner (2021), and an NLCS MVP (2024), while also contributing to the Memphis Redbirds’ PCL title in 2018 and a Cape Cod Baseball League championship in 2015.
Major League Highlights
Edman’s most celebrated major league moments include his Game 6 home run in the 2024 NLCS against the New York Mets, his Gold Glove Award-winning 2021 season at second base, and his two World Series championships with the Dodgers in 2024 and 2025. His most recent World Series appearance came in 2025, when the Dodgers captured their second consecutive title in seven games over the New York Yankees.
Other Wins and Performances
Earlier in his career, Edman won a New York–Penn League All-Star selection in 2016, a Texas League All-Star nod in 2018, a Cape Cod Baseball League championship in 2015, and was a co-MVP of the 2018 PCL playoffs with Memphis.
Tommy Edman Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Edman comes from a baseball-minded family. His father, John Edman Jr., played four years of college baseball at Williams College and serves as a teacher and varsity baseball coach at La Jolla Country Day School, his son’s alma mater. His mother, Maureen Kwak (Kwak Kyung-ah), was born in South Korea and moved to the United States as a child, giving Tommy his Korean heritage.
Personal Life
On November 23, 2019, Edman married his wife, Kristen. The couple originally planned their wedding for October 5 but postponed it because the Cardinals were playing in the 2019 National League Division Series. They have two children. Edman is a Christian and has spoken publicly about using his platform as a baseball player to make a positive impact off the field.
2025 Season Performance
Edman’s 2025 campaign was defined by both opening-day fireworks and frustrating injury setbacks. He played second base as the Dodgers opened the year in Japan for the MLB Tokyo Series and launched the first home run of the season off Justin Steele of the Chicago Cubs. The tone was promising, but recurring ankle injuries limited him to 97 games, and he finished with a .225 batting average, 13 home runs, and 49 RBIs — the lowest average of his career.
Even with the injuries, Edman remained a key contributor during the postseason. He appeared in the Wild Card Series, the National League Division Series (NLDS), the National League Championship Series (NLCS), and the World Series, providing steady defense and timely at-bats. In the 2025 World Series, the Dodgers captured their second straight title in seven games over the New York Yankees, and Edman added two doubles among his four hits across 28 at-bats.
On November 11, 2025, the Dodgers announced that Edman would require surgery on his right ankle, an issue that had hampered him throughout the season. He was activated off the 60-day injured list on June 16, beginning the next phase of his recovery as he continues to play a central role for the defending champions.
