Oct 20, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Tommy Edman (25) receives the MVP trophy on the podium after defeating the New York Mets in Game 6 of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs to advance to the World Series at Dodger Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Less than three months after he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tommy Edman is headed to the World Series.
The 29-year-old utility man isn't just a passenger along for the ride, either.
Edman hit .235 with a .471 OPS against the San Diego Padres in the NLDS, but with Miguel Rojas hurt, the Dodgers didn't have anyone else to turn to at shortstop for the NLCS. Over the course of the ensuing six-game series with the New York Mets, Edman made sure not to disappoint again.
It all started when Edman went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI in Game 1. From there, Edman went 3-for-4 with two RBI in Game 2.
Edman wound up getting at least one hit in every game of the 2024 NLCS. He finished the series batting .407 with 11 RBI and a 1.023 OPS, capping things off by going 2-for-5 with a home run in the clincher on Sunday night.
Thanks to his breakout performance and gaudy numbers, Edman earned NLCS MVP honors.
And while that marked a moment of celebration for Edman and the Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals fans were left to watch them enjoy it from afar.
The Cardinals shipped Edman to Los Angeles ahead of the trade deadline in July as part of a three-team deal with the Chicago White Sox. St. Louis got Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham in return, although they cut Pham shortly after.
As pointed out by Gateway Grinders on social media, Edman is now the third former Cardinals player to win Championship Series MVP in the last five years. Randy Arozarena did so with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020, while Adolis García earned the honor with the Texas Rangers in 2023.
The Cardinals reached the NLCS in 2019, but got swept by the Washington Nationals. They made the postseason in each of the next three years, only to get knocked out in the NL Wild Card Series every time.
After going 71-91 in 2023, St. Louis improved to 83-79 in 2024, but still missed the playoffs by 6.0 games.
Between 2019 and 2023, Edman hit .265 with a .726 OPS as a member of the Cardinals. He averaged 14 home runs, 60 RBI, 29 stolen bases and a 4.6 WAR per 162 games in that span, winning a Gold Glove at second base in 2021.
Edman appeared in just 37 games for the Dodgers during the regular season, not making his debut for the team until mid-August. He was still recovering from wrist surgery when he arrived in Los Angeles, and he hit just .237 with a .711 OPS and 0.9 WAR when he did manage to join the lineup.
The longtime Cardinals standout established himself as a high-level contributor this past week, though, and he is four wins away from a championship ring as a result.