Stanford star Tommy Edman is a World Series champion with the Los Angeles Dodgers

Jason Burke | Oct 31, 2024

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Tommy Edman (25) breaks his bat while hitting a single during the eighth inning against the New York Yankees in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

What a wild year for former Stanford standout Tommy Edman. He spent the first four months of the 2024 season on the IL, and before he could even make his return to the baseball diamond, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now he is a World Series champion.

It's one thing to be a member of the team that wins it all, but not only was Edman 1-of-26, he was also named the National League Championship Series MVP in the previous round, and without him going 11-for-27 (.407) with a home run, three doubles and 11 RBI, the Dodgers could have had a harder time making it to the World Series in the first place.

Adding Edman seemed to settle the Dodgers defense into place, with the 29-year-old taking over as both L.A.'s shortstop and centerfielder when needed. You may recall that Gold Glove right fielder Mookie Betts actually started the season at short for the Dodgers, but after he landed on the IL, the team decided to make a switch. Adding Edman to that mix certainly helped the team defensively.

In his 37 games played during the regular season, Edman hit .237 with a .294 OBP, six homers, 20 runs, 20 RBI and six stolen bases. During 16 postseason games he hit .328 overall between the three rounds, with two homers, five stolen bases, and an .862 OPS. It was certainly an impressive run he had, and gave the Dodgers a huge boost outside of their three big stars in Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman in the postseason.

In most of the games he ended up hitting in the bottom third of the lineup, except for the clinching game against the New York Mets in the NLCS when he hit cleanup, went 2-for-5 with a homer and four RBI, and helped secure the Game 6 victory.

It's impossible to say whether the Dodgers would have won the World Series this season if they hadn't acquired Edman at the deadline, but it sure made their path to the trophy a whole lot smoother.