Dodgers News: Tommy Edman reveals when he became a switch hitter

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been a fan of versatility for years. So when the opportunity to trade for Tommy Edman arose, there was no hesitation.

Edman is the ideal Swiss Army knife for the Dodgers. He can play all three outfield and three infield positions and excels at the middle spots – shortstop, second base and center field.

He is also a switch-hitter and has had success at both ends in the past.

Switch-hitting is a dying art form, and Edman admitted as much in his pregame press conference Thursday at Citi Field before Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets.

“I think it’s going away because it’s really hard,” he said. “You have two completely different swings and it’s difficult to master one swing as it is.”

Edman's history with switch bats goes back to his childhood as a Little League player. He hopped into the box as a left-handed hitter from time to time and started taking it really seriously before his freshman year of high school.

“My sophomore and junior year, I actually stepped away from it,” he continued. “After I committed the summer of my junior year, the coaches – my college coaches said, 'Hey, why don't you try switching again?' I think it will be a valuable asset for you.

“I ended up transferring my senior year of high school, doing well, and just kept going ever since.”

His preparation as a major league switch-hitter is intense, but the extra work has paid off as he is 9 of 28 with five runs driven in and three runs scored in eight postseason games.

“Yeah, there’s a lot,” Edman said of studying in the age of analytics. “You definitely have to put in a little more work because you have two sides to manage. But I think it helped and paid off.

“There are some right-handed pitchers that I will face as a left-hander. I'm glad I don't have to face this guy right-handed. The same goes for left-handed people.”

Edman is in the first year of his two-year, $16.5 million contract with the Dodgers that runs through 2025. He is not considered a power hitter and spends most of his time in the seventh or eighth spot in the lineup.

But his 5-foot-10, 193-pound body has it all.

During a two-game series against the Chicago Cubs on September 10 and 11, Edman hit four home runs, including one from each side of the plate in the final game.

Currently, Edman is the Dodgers' starting shortstop while Miguel Rojas is sidelined due to injury.

“It's very cool to be valued by one of the greatest organizations in baseball, and looking at it now, I kind of understand how it makes sense knowing the versatility I have and how the Dodgers prioritize versatility,” Edman said. “It was fun. I feel like I fit in well here. And hopefully I’ll continue to contribute at the level I’ve been.”

Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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