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    • From utilityman to MVP if the Dodgers reach the World Series
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    From utilityman to MVP if the Dodgers reach the World Series

    Kathleen William Posted on

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    LOS ANGELES – When the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Tommy Edman just before the July trade deadline, the utilityman didn't know what role he would play on his new team.

    He hadn't played a single game as he recovered from a wrist injury, joining a crowded roster full of guys trying to find playing time on their own.

    Let's take a look at Sunday night at Dodger Stadium and he was the one who hoisted the National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Trophy as Los Angeles secured its spot in the 2024 World Series.

    In a series of attacks, it was the boy from Southern California who repeatedly found himself in the spotlight. Edman hit .407 in the NLCS with 11 hits – at least one in all six games – a home run and 11 RBI, which was a franchise postseason record.

    “I think Tommy is clearly the MVP,” Shohei Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “He’s doing things — not just this entire postseason, but throughout the regular season, contributing in places where it doesn’t really impact the stats.”

    Sure, his regular season was limited to just 37 games, but Edman didn't break out in the less than two months he played. He hit just .237 and his OBP of .294 was his first season under .300.

    But when it came time for the postseason, Edman shook off the rust and showed up not only when it counted, but when he needed to.

    Freddie Freeman continued to struggle with an ankle injury that kept him out of games and significantly affected him when he was on the field. Teoscar Hernandez, a star of the National League Divisional Series, went hitless in the first five games.

    Luckily, Edman made himself a dangerous hitter. He started the series last in the lineup and made it all the way to cleanup in the NLCS clincher. Edman scored the first four runs of the game, giving Los Angeles a lead it would never relinquish.

    Perhaps the most impressive stat for Edman was after the two-run home run in the third inning, he was 5 for 7 with nine RBI as he batted with runners in scoring position for the series. At the end of Game 6, he had RISP 5 out of 10 in the series, still a remarkable performance that often leads to success.

    “I kept getting together with the guys on base and had plenty of opportunities to drive in runs,” Edman said.

    President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman joked that he imagined Edman would win the MVP award if he had traded for him, but he applauded him for prevailing in a series with such high stakes .

    “There aren't many people on planet Earth who can do this at such a high level. He’s a really good baseball player,” Friedman said. “He was just right in the middle of everything that was going on on the show.”

    Edman said he hadn't thought too much about being thrust into the spotlight, but from missing much of the regular season and being traded to become a championship series star, it's quite a change.

    “It was a crazy journey. At the beginning of the year, I never thought I would be in this situation today,” Edman said.

    It's hard to imagine where the Dodgers would be if they hadn't made the move for Edman over the summer. Manager Dave Roberts credited Friedman and the front office for making the trade happen. Even he didn't expect him to move him to fourth in the lineup, but now he's confident in what Edman brings to the club.

    “I trust him. The boys trust him. He made great defensive plays for us and scored big goals. “I’m just very, very lucky to have a player like Tommy,” said Roberts.

    Edman's emergence will again be a concern for the New York Yankees in the World Series. As if there weren't enough things to consider when facing a team that scored at least eight runs in its NLCS victories and is averaging more than six runs per game, the most of any postseason team.

    Surely everyone will be curious to see how Ohtani competes against Gerrit Cole and what comparisons there are to Aaron Judge. Mookie Betts will face the team that couldn't stand him winning a World Series when he played for the Boston Red Sox. And that doesn't include Freeman, Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton.

    Still, it's no surprise to anyone in Los Angeles to see someone like Edman in big situations.

    “The common theme this season was that a lot of people, different types, competed,” Ohtani said.

    Now Edman is a smoking hot, quick-witted guy who can't be missed at the plate. He was able to continue his excellent play in the World Series. But who knows, it could be another unsung hero who becomes a star for a team and proves that they are more than the three MVPs at the top of the lineup.

    “You prepare for these big moments. Luckily I was able to pull through,” Edman said.

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    Kathleen William
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