As the final week of the 2024 MLB regular season dawns, fans are looking at a thrilling conclusion marked by nail-biting postseason and awards races. Tommy Edman, who joined the Dodgers from the Cardinals in a three-team trade involving Erick Fedde and the White Sox, has emerged as a key player in this high-stakes environment.
Tommy Edman's Remarkable Turnaround
Edman’s journey with the Dodgers has been nothing short of remarkable. After undergoing offseason wrist surgery and suffering an ankle injury during his rehab assignment, he had barely seen any game action until recently. Yet, he's exploded onto the scene, hitting six home runs and stealing three bases in his last 15 games leading into Tuesday. In his 31 games with the Dodgers, Edman has displayed a robust .265/.310/.470 line, with an even more impressive .284/.333/.523 line over his last 23 games.
His versatility has been a boon for the Dodgers. Edman has started in center field, shortstop, and second base, contributing to a 1.0 WAR over his 31 games. Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts praised Edman’s unexpected power display: “Really surprised with the power. I know that he has an apt to put the barrel on the ball. Certainly versatile defensively. But in the batter's box, he just really takes good at-bats. He's hit six or seven homers for us already in a short period of time and they all seem like they were big. He's gotten a lot of big hits for us.”
Cedric Mullins: A Tale of Two Seasons
Cedric Mullins has had a season marked by significant highs and lows. On June 8, Mullins was toiling with a miserable .170/.221/.301 slash line. However, since then, he has drastically turned his season around. Now boasting a .228/.299/.404 slash line overall, including 18 home runs, Mullins has accrued a positive 2.4 WAR over his last 85 games, a striking contrast to the minus-0.4 WAR he posted in his first 57 games.
Mullins attributed his resurgence to a change in mindset: “I think the biggest part was for me to stop chasing that season (30-30 in 2021). That season was awesome, but at the same time, I think the reason I'm putting up numbers that are similar to it is because I'm no longer chasing that guy. I'm just being who I am.”
Detroit Tigers' Youth Movement
Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers are on the brink of clinching a wild-card spot, an achievement that would mark their first playoff berth since 2014. Impressively, six of Tuesday's starting nine position players for the Tigers were 24 or younger, highlighting a promising future for the franchise.
Trey Sweeney has emerged as a crucial figure in the Tigers' lineup following Javier Báez's season-ending hip injury on August 22. Sweeney became the starting shortstop, taking the reins for 29 of the 32 games since Báez's injury. A former first-round pick by the Yankees in 2021, Sweeney was acquired in the Jack Flaherty trade with the Dodgers. This year in Triple-A, he has maintained a commendable .267/.345/.450 slash line, along with 15 home runs and 20 steals in 107 games.
Jackson Jobe: A Promising Call-up
Adding to their youthful roster, the Tigers have recently called up top prospect Jackson Jobe, signaling a clear focus on building for the future. As the season winds down, all eyes will be on these young stars to see how they handle the pressures of a potential postseason run.
With the stakes higher than ever, Tommy Edman, Cedric Mullins, and the youthful Detroit Tigers stand out as pivotal figures in this thrilling final week of MLB action. Their performances will not only shape their teams' fortunes in the postseason but also leave a lasting impact on their respective careers.