Tommy Edman (30), a Korean-American utility player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has expressed his willingness to participate in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) next year as part of the South Korean baseball team. In an interview with Taiwanese media while competing for the quarterfinals against South Korea, he spoke as if he were already a Korean player.

According to Taiwanese 'CTI News', Edman, after finishing the home game against the Chicago Cubs on the 12th (Korea time), expressed in an interview with 'JCON TAIWAN', "I want to face Taiwan quickly. We didn't play against Taiwan in the last WBC, but I was deeply impressed by their skills. Taiwan has many excellent players. If they use talented pitchers against South Korea, it will be an exciting game."

South Korea has been placed in Group C with Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and the Czech Republic for the 2026 WBC to be held next March. The tournament will be divided into four groups of five countries, with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals. Given that Japan has already secured one spot in Group C, South Korea and Taiwan will be competing for the remaining slot. A matchup between South Korea and Taiwan is scheduled for March 8 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.

Edman's anticipation for the match against Taiwan comes as a result of their grouping in the same pool, indicating his intention to participate in the South Korean national team for the WBC next year. Under current regulations, players can choose their participating country if they have heritage from that country, regardless of nationality.

Edman, whose mother is an immigrant from South Korea, Kwak Kyung-ah, became the first biracial player to wear the Taegeuk mark for the South Korean national team during the 2023 WBC. Using 'Hyun-Soo' as his Korean middle name, Edman recorded a batting average of .182 (2 hits in 11 at-bats) with 2 RBIs, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts, with an on-base percentage of .250 and a slugging percentage of .182. South Korea also faced elimination in the group stage.

Edman, who drew attention during his career for winning the National League (NL) Gold Glove in 2021, has seen his status significantly rise over the past three years. After being traded to the Dodgers from the St. Louis Cardinals in July last year, he stepped up his performance. He earned the MVP title in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) and contributed to the Dodgers' World Series victory, signing a contract extension worth $74 million over five years after the season.

This year, he is on pace for a career-high season. Up to the game against the Cubs on the 12th, where he hit his sixth home run, he recorded a .259 batting average (15 hits in 58 at-bats), 6 home runs, 14 RBIs, and 11 runs scored, with 2 walks, 8 strikeouts, an on-base percentage of .290, a slugging percentage of .603, and an OPS of .894. He is tied for first place overall in home runs with Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies), and Tyler Soderstrom (Athletics). Among Dodgers position players, he ranks first in WAR (0.8), surpassing Shohei Ohtani (0.7), showcasing the highest productivity on the team. As a switch hitter, he has maintained balance by hitting home runs equally from both sides of the plate.

Edman, although he has had double-digit home runs for four seasons, has a personal best of only 13, and is not known as a power hitter; however, he has already exploded with 6 home runs this year. According to the 'LA Times', Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, "Edman's power is impressive. It's remarkable. He wouldn't say he's a power hitter, but he has found a way to hit home runs with backspin on the ball."

Standing at 175 cm and weighing 87 kg, Edman stated, "I'm not trying to hit home runs. I'm preparing better plans on how to attack opposing pitchers to achieve good results at the plate. I try to quickly adjust by looking for what has changed whenever my swing gets out of sync," adding, "The season has just started, and we'll see how long this lasts."

With Edman excelling not only in defense but also in offense, he seems to consider his joining the South Korean national team a foregone conclusion, which is a significant boost for WBC manager Ryu Ji-hyeon. As a utility player who can play second base, shortstop, and center field, his versatility is highly valuable. Edman's performance this season is welcomed news for South Korea in many ways.

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