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 presented itself, 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 he excels at the up-the-middle spots — shortstop, second base, and center field.
He’s also a switch hitter and historically has been successful from both sides of the plate.
Switch hitting is an art form that is dying and Edman acknowledged that in his pregame press conference on Thursday at Citi Field before Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets.
“I think it’s dying out because it’s really hard,” he said. “You’ve got two completely different swings and it’s hard to manage one swing as it is.”
Edman’s history with switch hitting dates back to his childhood playing Little League. He would hop in the box left-handed from time to time and really started taking it seriously before his freshman year of high school.
“Actually went away from it my sophomore and junior year,” he continued. “After I committed, during the summer of my junior year, the coaches — my college coaches said, hey, why don’t you try switch hitting again. I think it will be a valuable asset to you.
“I ended up switching my senior year of high school and did well and just kept doing it ever since.”
His preparation as a major league switch hitter is intense, but the extra work has paid off, as he is 9-for-28 in eight postseason games with five runs driven in and three runs scored.
“Yeah, there’s a lot,” Edman said about studying in the age of analytics. “Definitely have to put in a little more work because you’ve got two sides to manage. But I think it’s helped out and paid off.
“There’s some right-handed pitchers that I’ll face lefty. I’m glad I don’t have to face this guy right-handed. Same thing with lefty as well.”
Edman is in the first year of his two-year, $16.5-million contract with the Dodgers that runs through 2025. He isn’t 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 frame packs a punch.
During a two-game span against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 10-11, Edman hit four homers, including one from each side of the plate in the latter game.
For the time being, Edman is the Dodgers starting shortstop with Miguel Rojas out with an injury.
“It’s very cool to be valued by one of the greatest organizations in baseball, and now, looking at it, I kind of see how it makes sense, knowing the versatility I have and how the Dodgers prioritize versatility,” Edman said. “It’s been fun. I feel like I fit in well here. And hopefully I’ll continue to contribute at the level that I’ve been.”
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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