Tommy Edman Bio
Thomas Hyunsu Edman, widely known by the nickname “Tommy Tanks,” is an American professional baseball utility player for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. Born on May 9, 1995, in Pontiac, Michigan, Edman grew up in San Diego, California, and developed into one of the most versatile defenders in the game. After being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016, he reached the majors in 2019 and has since built a reputation for steady contact hitting, speed, and the ability to play multiple positions at a high level.
Edman won a Gold Glove Award at second base in 2021 and captured World Series championships with the Dodgers in 2024 and 2025. He also represents the South Korean national team in international play, reflecting his dual American and Korean heritage. Across his career, he has played second base, shortstop, third base, and all three outfield spots, giving his managers rare lineup flexibility.
Early Life and Background
Thomas Hyunsu Edman was born in Pontiac, Michigan, on May 9, 1995, and was raised in San Diego, California. He is the son of John Edman Jr. and Maureen Kwak, also known as Kwak Kyung-ah, who was born in South Korea and moved to the United States as a child. Edman is of Korean heritage from his mother’s side and of European heritage from his father’s side, and he grew up in a household that blended both cultures.
His father, John, 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, where Tommy himself would later study. His older brother, John, has worked in research and development for the Minnesota Twins, and his younger sister, Elise, played volleyball at Davidson College and later worked as a systems engineer for the Cardinals. Surrounded by education and athletics, Edman developed a strong baseball foundation from an early age.
He attended La Jolla Country Day School in La Jolla, California, graduating in 2013 and earning a spot on an All-Academic Team. He then went on to Stanford University, where he played three seasons of college baseball for the Stanford Cardinal and sharpened the skills that would eventually take him to the professional ranks.
Path to Professional Baseball
Edman’s path to professional baseball began with standout summer league performances. After his freshman year at Stanford, he played for the Newport Gulls of the New England Collegiate League, where he was named an All-Star and earned recognition as the best defensive player in the league. Following his sophomore season in 2015, he joined the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League, batting .304, earning a starting nod on the East Division All-Star team, and helping lead the Red Sox to the league championship.
As a junior in 2016, Edman started every game at shortstop for Stanford and batted .286 with 24 RBIs. He led the team in runs, hits, triples, and stolen bases, earning a place on the Pac-12 Conference first team. That same year, the St. Louis Cardinals selected him in the sixth round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft, officially launching his professional career.
Tommy Edman Career
Early Career and Minor Leagues (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 in 22 attempts over 66 games, earning a New York–Penn League All-Star selection. In 2017, he split time between the Peoria Chiefs, Palm Beach Cardinals, and Springfield Cardinals, batting a combined .261 with five home runs and 55 RBIs in 119 games.
Edman began the 2018 season with Springfield, where he was named a Texas League All-Star and reached base in 32 straight games, breaking a Springfield all-time record. He was promoted to the Memphis Redbirds at the end of the season, helping them win the Pacific Coast League title and earning co-MVP honors of the PCL playoffs alongside teammate Randy Arozarena. Between Springfield and Memphis, he batted .301 with seven home runs, 41 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases, and later played for the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League.
St. Louis Cardinals Era (2019–2024)
Edman began the 2019 season back with Memphis before his contract was selected on June 8, 2019, leading to his major league 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 hit his first career grand slam off Robert Stephenson of the Cincinnati Reds. 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, and he posted the fastest sprint speed of all major league third basemen at 29.4 feet per second.
He was named the starting third baseman for the Cardinals in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, batting .250/.317/.368 with five home runs and 26 RBIs in 227 plate appearances. In 2021, after the departure of Kolten Wong and the acquisition of Nolan Arenado, Edman was named the club’s starting second baseman. He appeared in 159 games, slashing .262/.308/.387 with 11 home runs, 56 RBIs, 41 doubles, and 30 stolen bases. His 41 doubles tied for second in the National League. That year, he won the Gold Glove Award at second base, one of five Cardinals to earn the honor, setting an MLB record.
Edman returned as the starting second baseman to open the 2022 season before eventually moving to shortstop in mid-May. 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 finished the season slashing .265/.324/.400 with 13 home runs, 57 RBIs, 31 doubles, and 32 stolen bases over 153 games. In January 2023, he agreed to a one-year, $4.2 million contract with the Cardinals, avoiding salary arbitration, and appeared in 153 games while batting .265 with 13 home runs, 57 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases. He and the Cardinals agreed to a two-year, $16.5 million deal in January 2024, though a wrist injury kept him off the field for the entire 2024 season in St. Louis before his trade.
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 also 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 Dodgers debut on August 19, 2024, and played 37 games while splitting time between shortstop and center field, batting .237 with six home runs and 20 RBIs.
In the 2024 NLCS, Edman earned series MVP honors after helping lead the Dodgers past the New York Mets in six games, hitting a two-run home run in the Game 6 clincher. He hit .407 in the series and tied a Dodgers club record with 11 RBIs in a postseason series. He then won his first World Series championship when the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in five games, batting .294 with one home run and one RBI. On November 29, 2024, Edman signed a five-year, $74 million contract extension with the Dodgers, including a sixth-year club option.
Edman opened the 2025 season as the Dodgers’ starting second baseman during the MLB Tokyo Series in Japan. He hit the first home run of the 2025 season, a solo shot off Justin Steele of the Chicago Cubs in the second game of the year. After injuring his ankle on the basepaths on April 29, he landed on the injured list and returned in mid-May, only to suffer another baserunning ankle injury in August that kept him out for roughly a month. Overall in 2025, he played in 97 games across second base, center field, and third base, batting a career-low .225 with 13 home runs and 49 RBIs. He played through the ankle issue in the postseason, helping the Dodgers capture a second straight World Series title in seven games over the Toronto Blue Jays, contributing four hits, including two doubles, in 28 at-bats.
Driving Style and Strengths
Edman’s greatest strength has long been his defensive versatility, allowing managers to deploy him at second base, shortstop, third base, and all three outfield positions without a meaningful drop in production. He pairs that flexibility with plus speed on the basepaths, sharp contact skills, and an advanced approach at the plate, making him a reliable table-setter in any lineup. His willingness to play anywhere has made him a favorite of managers seeking late-inning matchup advantages and has helped lengthen the Dodgers’ everyday lineup.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Edman’s signature moments are his 2024 NLCS MVP performance, including the two-run homer that clinched the pennant, and his Game 6 heroics in the 2024 NLCS. He also etched his name in team history by tying the Dodgers’ club record with 11 RBIs in a single postseason series, and he opened the 2025 season by hitting the first home run of the year during the Tokyo Series. In 2023, he represented South Korea at the World Baseball Classic, adding an international milestone to a career that already features a Gold Glove Award and two World Series rings.
Tommy Edman Career Wins
Tommy Edman has built a strong résumé of team and individual accomplishments across the minor leagues and majors. His two World Series championships with the Dodgers in 2024 and 2025 stand as the crown jewels of his career so far, complemented by a Gold Glove Award and an NLCS MVP honor. While he is not primarily known as a power hitter, his consistent production, defensive excellence, and postseason heroics have made him one of the most valuable utility players in the National League.
MLB Highlights
Edman made an immediate impact in 2019 with the Cardinals, finishing his rookie campaign with 11 home runs and 15 stolen bases while flashing elite speed at third base. In 2021, he won a Gold Glove Award at second base, became one of five Cardinals to take home a Gold Glove that year, and tied for second in the National League with 41 doubles. Most recently, he earned 2024 NLCS MVP honors and helped the Dodgers capture World Series titles in both 2024 and 2025, including a run in which he hit .407 in the NLCS and tied a Dodgers postseason record with 11 RBIs in a single series.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the majors, Edman earned All-Star honors in the New York–Penn League in 2016 and in the Texas League in 2018, when he also set a Springfield record by reaching base in 32 straight games. He was a co-MVP of the 2018 Pacific Coast League playoffs after helping Memphis win the league title. In the Cape Cod League, he helped the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox capture a league championship, and in 2023, he represented South Korea at the World Baseball Classic.
Tommy Edman Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Edman is the son of John Edman Jr. and Maureen Kwak, also known as Kwak Kyung-ah, who was born in South Korea and moved to the United States as a child. His father played four years of college baseball at Williams College in Massachusetts and is a teacher and varsity baseball coach at La Jolla Country Day School, Edman’s own alma mater. His older brother, John, works in research and development for the Minnesota Twins, and his younger sister, Elise, played volleyball at Davidson College and worked as a systems engineer for the Cardinals.
Personal Life
On November 23, 2019, Edman married his wife, Kristen. The couple had originally planned a wedding for October 5 but were forced to reschedule because of the Cardinals’ run in the 2019 National League Division Series, and they later had one child. Edman is a Christian and has spoken about using his platform as a baseball player to share his faith, and he is of Korean heritage through his mother and European heritage through his father.
2025 Season Performance
Tommy Edman’s 2025 season was a study in perseverance through adversity. He opened the year by hitting the first home run of the season during the Dodgers’ Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs, giving Los Angeles an early highlight. However, a baserunning ankle injury on April 29 sent him to the injured list, and a second ankle injury in August kept him out for roughly a month, limiting him to 97 games and a career-low .225 batting average. Even so, he provided 13 home runs and 49 RBIs while continuing to man second base, center field, and third base.
In the postseason, Edman played through the lingering ankle issue and made his presence felt across every round. He appeared in the Wild Card Series, NLDS, NLCS, and World Series, recording timely hits and contributing key defensive plays. Across 28 at-bats in the 2025 World Series, he posted four hits, including two doubles, as the Dodgers captured a second straight championship in seven games.
With his five-year extension in place and his defensive versatility still intact, Edman remains a central figure in the Dodgers’ long-term plans. His 2025 campaign reinforced his identity as a player who can impact the game in many ways, even when his offensive numbers are modest. Heading into 2026, his ability to stay healthy and continue producing in a super-utility role will be a key storyline for Los Angeles.