The first home run of the Tokyo Series and the first home run of the 2025 Major League Baseball regular season was hit by Tommy Edman of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Edman started as the No. 2 second baseman in the second match of the MLB World Tour Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs held at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 19th and hit a home run. It was the first home run of this year's Tokyo Series and the first home run of the 2025 season in Major League Baseball.
After scoring two runs in the second inning, the Dodgers took the lead, and in the third inning with two outs and no runners on base, Edman's bat made a powerful swing. Facing Cubs starter left-hander Justin Steele, Edman fell behind with two strikes but continued the full count battle and hit a high fastball at 90.1 miles per hour on the sixth pitch over the left-field wall.
Edman, a Korean-born player with the Korean name 'Gwak Hyun-soo,' was one of the key players in the Dodgers' World Series championship last year. He showcased an impressive swing in the National League Championship Series and was awarded the Championship Series MVP. After last season, he signed a five-year contract extension worth $74 million with the Dodgers.
The day before, Edman also hit a clutch RBI single in the fifth inning, and on this day, he continued his hot hitting with a home run. Edman's home run lightened the shoulders of Roki Sasaki, who was making his Major League debut that day. The Dodgers are leading 3-0.
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