The Stanford legend wins NLCS MVP and helps the LA Dodgers to a berth in the World Series

Can you smell what the Dodgers are cooking? The offseason signings of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and Japanese import Yoshinobu Yamamoto showed that Los Angeles was done messing around and was ready to win its second World Series since 2020 and its first full-season World Series since 1988 to win.

While the Dodgers secured a berth in the Fall Classic and defeated the New York Mets in the championship series, four games to two, it can be argued that it was actually 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 the Dodgers acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in a trade deadline deal, proved why his addition made a big difference, as it did in the series against the Mets. Edman hit 11 RBI, including a big two-run home run in Game 6, while batting .407, giving the Dodgers another unlikely superstar hitter in a lineup that already featured Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Max Muncy exists and Teoscar Hernández.

While Edman's best game came in the deciding game, he also managed a three-RBI game in Game Four, where he went 2-for-6 with two doubles, and a two-RBI game in Game Two, when he went 3-for-4 despite the Dodgers won 7:3 lost. Edman's NLCS MVP award is now the third major honor he has received in his career, following his other two awards: a Gold Glove in 2021 and the Fielding Bible Award in 2022. Overall, Edman is hitting .341 in the postseason with a home run and 12 RBI and stood out as one of Los Angeles' best and most important players during this playoff run.

In his season debut for the Dodgers on August 19, Edman played in only 37 games in the regular season as he was forced to miss over 100 games due to recovery from wrist surgery he suffered last offseason. Upon his return, Edman spent his time primarily in center field and shortstop, posting a .237 batting average with six home runs and 20 RBI in the regular season.

Edman played three seasons at Stanford and was a member of the Cardinals from 2014 to 2016. He left college with a .281 average, four home runs and 71 RBI. His best season was 2016, when he played and started every single game at shortstop and finished the season with a .286 average and 24 RBI.

Although Edman didn't hit a home run, he 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 spent the next five and a half seasons there before the Dodgers acquired him.

With the World Series matchup now officially set, Edman and the Dodgers have all week to celebrate and prepare for the big event before heading to Game 1 against the New York Yankees on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 5:08 p.m. PT at Dodger Stadium.