Tommy Edman on South Korea World Baseball Classic selection: "It's a huge honor"

Team Korea will go stronger with the addition of St. Louis Cardinals infielder Tommy Edman for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Edman has the honor of becoming the first non-South Korean native to play for the country. The Michigan-born player is eligible to play for the nation through his mother, Maureen Kwak, who was born in South Korea.

The World Baseball Classic is regarded as one of the most exciting baseball environments in the game. Every game is competitive, and the crowds are boisterous. Edman spoke about the challenge and what it meant to join the team in March.

"It's a huge honor" - said Tommy Edman

Speaking to MLB Network, Edman touched on how excited he was to be a part of the environment at the 2023 WBC.

"Tommy Edman is making history with Team Korea. He joined #MLBTonight to talk about playing in his first #WorldBaseballClassic and the Korea-Japan rivalry. @RoFlo | @Cardinals" - MLB Network

Tommy Edman has made a name for himself with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was drafted by the organization in 2016 and has worked his way up to establish himself as a regular first-teamer.

Over the previous two seasons, Edman has played in 312 games and has been instrumental in the team reaching the playoffs in both seasons.

Edman also had the pleasure of playing alongside some of MLB's greatest players. Developing his game alongside Albert Pujols, Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado has its advantages.

The 2023 World Baseball Classic will be played from March 8-21 and will be jointly hosted by Japan, Taiwan, and the United States.

Tommy Edman will become the first non-South Korean native to play for the team at the WBC

Tommy Edman celebrates his single in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the National League Wild Card Game at Dodger Stadium

The South Korean team will compete in Pool B, where they will face off against their main rival, Japan.

Edman spoke on the rivalry and is looking forward to the vibrant atmosphere:

"The environment in the Tokyo Dome is supposed to be pretty crazy...it's something I'm really looking forward to"

South Korea and Japan have a longstanding baseball rivalry that goes back decades. The two teams faced each other in the finals of the 2009 edition of the tournament. On that occasion, Japan edged the Korean team to win their second WBC title.

"#TBT to when Yu Darvish closed out the 2009 World Baseball Classic as Japan won back-to-back titles." - WBC

The 2009 runner-up finish was the highest the South Korean team has placed. They will hope to go a step further and win it all in 2023. Tommy Edman could be the catalyst for a South Korean team that looks strong on paper.