Cardinals Need a Huge Season From Tommy Edman if They Want to Repeat as NL Central Champs
By Jack Murphy
The St. Louis Cardinals narrowly took the division over teams like the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs in 2019. With the departure of Marcell Ozuna, it may be difficult for the Red Birds to repeat as NL Central champions. In order to do so, third baseman Tommy Edman needs to not only avoid a sophomore slump, but have a career season.
The NL Central is always one of the most competitive divisions in baseball and now that the Cincinnati Reds have improved vastly since the start of last season, things will only get more heated.
Player stats in 2019:
— Cardinals Stats And Facts (@SpittinFactsSTL) March 8, 2020
Tommy Edman: 1.1 defensive WAR
.302 BA 120 OPS+ 123wRC+
Contract 555k
Nolan Arenado: 1.1 defensive WAR
.315 BA 129 OPS+ 128 wRC+
Contract 32.5 Million
Arenado makes nearly 60x what Edman does and barely outplayed him last season.
While he will likely not reach the caliber of the likes of Christian Yelich and Javier Baez next season, Edman is a name to watch in 2020. He hit for .304 last season while launching 11 home runs in his rookie campaign. If he can provide more power in his swing, he has the potential to be one of the league's up-and-coming star hitters.
Edman is primarily a third baseman but could be used a utility guy as he has played right field and second base at the MLB level and has performed admirably. His value goes beyond his bat.
Tommy Edman will start at 2B today, but he has no qualms about wherever Mike Shildt might play him this season: “I’m a baseball player. … I’ll be ready to go wherever I’m needed.” #STLCards
— FOX Sports Midwest (@FSMidwest) February 24, 2020
TV: FSMW | Stream: FSGO pic.twitter.com/g0BnnhNXwg
Edman's potential emergence can really separate the Red Birds from the rest of the division, should he be able to take his game to the next level.