In the world of American professional baseball — a global stage where athletes from many nations shine — there’s another Korean figure drawing attention. To be precise, he might be more accurately described as Korean-American, but considering he represented Korea in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), he certainly qualifies as Korean. His name is Tommy Edman. And notably, he uses his Korean middle name: Hyun Su (현수).
Though Edman was born and raised in the U.S. and reportedly only knows basic Korean greetings, the fact that he embraces and uses his Korean name sets him apart — especially when compared to many other Koreans with English-style names.
Major League Baseball (MLB) in the U.S. has praised Edman for his remarkable consistency. The Los Angeles Dodgers are on an unprecedented eight-game winning streak to begin their title defense this season — but as many have pointed out, the journey hasn’t been easy. Each victory required a different strategy, a different spark. And almost every time, Tommy Edman was right at the heart of it.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts summed it up earlier this week:
“It just seems like every single night, he does something to help you win.”
“It really feels like every single night, he does something to help the team win. Whether it’s a sacrifice fly, a diving stop to keep the ball in the infield, a stretch to turn a forceout at second base, a hit, or even just drawing a walk — it doesn’t matter.”
It’s not particularly surprising that Edman is playing such a vital role early in the season. The Dodgers had been keeping a close eye on him leading up to last year’s Trade Deadline, and when they finally acquired him, he rewarded their confidence with a stellar postseason performance — even earning the NL Championship Series MVP honors.
What is surprising, though, is how he’s been contributing. From the outset of this season, Edman has shown impressive power. In his first eight games, he recorded nine hits in 31 at-bats for a .290 batting average — and four of those hits were home runs. Notably, he launched the first home run of the entire Major League Baseball season during the Tokyo Series finale. Given this early momentum, Edman seems poised to easily surpass his single-season career-high of 13 homers, which he achieved in both 2022 and 2023.
ince joining the team as part of the three-team trade that also brought Michael Kopech to the Dodgers, Tommy Edman has been focusing on unlocking more power in his swing. Much of that work has been mechanical, as Edman has aimed to fine-tune the timing of various components in his motion to enhance the overall impact.
“In the past, there were moments in my swing where I’d get into certain positions and couldn’t really use my whole body properly,” Edman explained.
“Now, I feel like I’m utilizing my lower half much better. Before, everything kind of moved all at once, but now I’m doing a good job of generating force starting from the ground up — letting that energy build through my body and allowing the bat to act like a whip.”
This segmentation of body movement to generate sequential hitting power — a “ground-up” method of power production — is one of the most advanced techniques commonly used by Major League hitters today. Tommy Edman is now leveraging it to produce a more precise and explosive swing than ever before.
What’s especially notable is that Edman, a natural switch-hitter, has been showing more power from the left side of the plate so far this season. Throughout his career, Edman has been far more effective from the right-handed batter’s boxagainst left-handed pitchers, to the extent that he has even occasionally opted to bat right-handed against righties.
Career SLG (RHB vs LHP): .512
Career SLG (LHB vs RHP): .378
But in the early part of the 2025 season, Edman has hit two of his four home runs from the left side. Of course, he’s had twice as many at-bats from the left due to the Dodgers facing a majority of right-handed pitching, so it’s too early to draw definitive conclusions. Still, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has taken notice:
“It’s still early, so we don’t want to jump to any firm conclusions,” Roberts said. “But the improvements he’s shown from the left side are definitely noticeable.”
If Edman can continue to raise his performance as a left-handed hitter, he’ll become even more valuable to the Dodgers — both in terms of lineup flexibility and offensive depth.
And perhaps the most surprising fact?
Edman — not Otani — has been batting cleanup for the Dodgers in several games.
Just two years ago, Edman gained significant attention in Korea after playing for the national team in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). His mixed heritage and use of his Korean middle name, Hyun Su, made him a fan favorite. Though he only speaks basic Korean greetings, his connection to Korea is authentic.
But despite his strong performance, Edman remains in the shadow of Shohei Ohtani in terms of media attention — even in Korea. He may not be over six feet tall, but his speed and hustle rival those of Jung Hoo Lee, the “Grandson of the Wind.”
As someone watching Dodgers games, I find myself increasingly drawn to Edman’s play rather than Ohtani’s recent struggles. It’s disappointing that Korean media has focused almost exclusively on Ohtani during the Dodgers’ pursuit of a World Series title.
Edman himself, however, remains humble and enthusiastic about his ties to Korea:
“Of course I’d go. I had great memories playing for Team Korea at the WBC. My visit to Korea was also a really fun and positive experience. So if I get the chance again, I wouldn’t hesitate.”
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| Tommy Hyunsu Edman at WBC for Korea Team 2 years ago |
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