Stanford legend wins NLCS MVP, helps L.A. Dodgers clinch a spot in World Series

Thanks to a strong series from Edman, the Dodgers are your 2024 National League Champions and are now four wins away from winning second title in five years.

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 six of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs to advance to the World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Can you smell what the Dodgers are cooking? Signing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and Japanese import, pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in the offseason showed that Los Angeles was done playing around, ready to win their second World Series since 2020 and first World Series played in a full season since 1988. 

While the Dodgers clinched a spot in the Fall Classic, beating the New York Mets four games to two in the championship series, the argument can be made that it was in fact one of their midseason acquisitions that made all of this possible. After putting together a strong series to help the Dodgers advance, former Stanford baseball star Tommy Edman was named the 2024 NLCS MVP.

Edman, who was acquired by the Dodgers from the St. Louis Cardinals in a deal at the trade deadline, proved why his addition has been a major difference maker as in the series against the Mets. Edman drove in 11 RBI, including hitting a big two-run home run in Game 6, while hitting .407, giving the Dodgers another unlikely superstar bat in a lineup that already has Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernández.

While Edman’s best game came in the clincher, he also put together a three RBI game in game four, going 2-for-6 with two doubles, and a two RBI game in game two when he went 3-for-4 despite the Dodgers losing 7-3. Edman’s NLCS MVP recognition now makes it the third major award that he has earned in his career, with his other two being a Gold Glove in 2021 and the Fielding Bible Award in 2022. Overall for the postseason, Edman is hitting .341 with one homer and 12 RBI, standing out as one of Los Angeles’ best and most important players during this playoff run.

Making his season debut for the Dodgers on August 19, Edman only played in 37 games during the regular season, as he was forced to miss over 100 games due to recovery from wrist surgery that he had last offseason. Splitting time primarily between center field and shortstop when he came back, Edman hit .237 with six home runs and 20 RBI in the regular season. 

Playing three seasons for Stanford, spending 2014-2016 as a member of the Cardinal, Edman left college with a .281 average, four home runs and 71 RBI. His best season came in 2016 when he played and started in every single game at shortstop, finishing the campaign with a .286 average and 24 RBI.

Despite not hitting a home run, Edman led the team in runs, hits, triples and stolen bases. Selected in the sixth round of the 2016 MLB Draft by St. Louis, Edman made his big league debut with the Cardinals in 2019 and then proceeded to spend the following five and a half seasons there before the Dodgers acquired him.

With the World Series matchup now officially set, Edman and the Dodgers will have the entirety of the week to celebrate and prepare for the big event, before locking in for Game 1 on Friday against the New York Yankees. First pitch is slated for 5:08 p.m. (PT) at Dodger Stadium.