December 11, 2022

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Tommy Edman has become one of the most prominent base stealers in the game over the last couple of seasons, swiping 62 bases the previous two years, including 32 in 2022. He did this with 86th-percentile sprint speed and was caught only three times. Edman's value wasn't just dependent on his baserunning, though, as he hit .265, scored 95 runs, and swatted 13 home runs while driving in 57. A decent .258 xBA and 17.6% strikeout rate that was just above his career 16.6% rate backed his numbers. Edman likes hitting the ball on the ground, posting a ground ball rate of 49.4% this season and 47.3% for his career, which is a good recipe for someone with his skill set. Additionally, the 27-year-old saw career highs in multiple power metrics such as barrel rate (6.2%), exit velocity (88.6 MPH), and hard-hit rate (37.8%). If he can pull the ball more than 20.8% on flyballs and closer to his career mark of 24.6%, he might crack 15 HRs for the first time. Edman can easily maintain his numbers from a season ago, especially if he bats second, as projected. Considering stolen bases are so coveted nowadays, it'll be hard for fantasy managers to find a multi-category contributor who can run at his ADP of 79. They should take advantage of the lower price tag.--Spencer Seguin