The first home run of the 2025 MLB season came from a surprising source halfway around the world. Tommy Edman, the Dodgers’ versatile utility player, smacked a solo shot in the third inning off Cubs lefty Justin Steele during Wednesday morning’s Tokyo Series game.
It wasn’t exactly who fans expected to see in the record books.
Edman stepped into the No. 2 spot in the lineup because Mookie Betts was sidelined with an illness for both Tokyo games.
The homer sailed into the Tokyo Dome stands, giving baseball fans their first glimpse of 2025 power hitting.
Edman, who turns 30 in May, joined the Dodgers last year in a complicated three-team trade with the Cardinals and White Sox. He’s not exactly known as a power hitter – he averaged just 13 homers per 162 games during his five seasons with St. Louis.
But something clicked when he put on Dodger blue.
After recovering from wrist and ankle injuries, Edman hit six homers in just 37 games with Los Angeles. He stayed hot in October, adding two more home runs during the playoffs while earning NLCS MVP honors.
The Dodgers clearly liked what they saw. They locked him up with a five-year, $74 million extension in November, a year before he could have tested free agency.
What makes Edman so valuable isn’t just his bat. While he’s currently playing second base, he can also fill in at shortstop or center field whenever needed. That versatility is gold for a manager trying to navigate a long season.
Interestingly, this is the second straight year a Dodger has claimed the season’s first homer in an international series. Last year, it was Mookie Betts who hit 2024’s first home run during the Korea Series against the Padres’ Michael King – MLB’s first-ever regular season games in South Korea.
Now Tokyo gets its place in the record books too.
