Erin Hooley/AP
One of the players least surprised that Nico Hoerner has made an impressive transition to the leadoff spot is Cardinals infielder Tommy Edman — whom Hoerner replaced at shortstop after his freshman season at Stanford.
“You could see his freshman year he definitely had a couple things he would tell you he needed to improve on, and he did so the next couple years,” Edman said late last month in San Francisco. “A big part that’s very similar to me, honestly, is that we both have contact mindsets and we see pitches we know we can hit.