Breakout Cardinals and prospects from the 2022 season

Tommy Edman

It is easy to forget that entering the 2022 season, there was a vocal part of the Cardinals fanbase that was against the idea of Tommy Edman as an everyday player for the Cardinals. Well, it is safe to say Edman has put to rest any of those concerns with his performance this year.

Edman finished 13th in all of baseball in WAR after slashing .265/.324/.400 with 13 HR, 57 RBI, and 32 SB while playing some of the best defense in baseball. Despite having to become the club's primary shortstop mid-season, Edman still had the 3rd highest defensive WAR in baseball and proved he is an elite, versatile weapon for St. Louis. Edman was snubbed at both the second base and newly created utility Gold Glove awards in 2022 and will look to snag his second career Gold Glove during the 2023 season.

Sure, more consistency at the plate at times would be nice from the 27-year-old. The next step in his game would be raising his OBP or adding even more slugging to his repertoire, especially against right-handed pitching. At this point though, Edman has proven to be one of the most critical players on the Cardinals roster and is someone they may even look to lock up long-term.