When you get a chance to visit the land of the rising sun, sushi, traditions, and Pokemon hit you hard. The land of Pokemons is hosting the Dodgers and Cubs as a part of their Tokyo Series games starting tomorrow, and Anthony Banda has already been carried over. How? While the Dodgers are playing an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants, Banda is excited to share how it feels to reignite his inner child visiting the Pokemon museum in Japan.
If that was not enough, he related a few Pokemon characters with his Dodgers teammates, apart from mentioning Gengar, his favorite Pokemon.
So, who is considered the reliable yet effective Pikachu?
Tommy Edman!
Pikachu stands for reliability, utility, and being impactful for his trainer, Ash. Similarly, Edman plays the role of a utility player for the Dodgers. In his MLB stint with the Cardinals and Dodgers, Edman played as a third baseman, second baseman, shortstop, centerfield, and leftfield! That’s the versatility he offers to the team. It’s much like what Pikachu offers to his trainer.
With six home runs and 20 RBIs, Edman played 37 games for the Dodgers last year, alternating between shortstop and center field. He also shone in the 2024 postseason with two home runs and 13 RBIs in 16 games.
The Dodgers pitcher Anthony Banda chose Tommy Edman as the Pikachu in the team. “Who’s Pikachu? Let’s go with Tommy Edmond,” Banda said during the Dodgers’ game against the Yomiuri Giants.
The utility Edman brings to the team is only comparable to Pikachu. Similar to Pikachu, Edman gets better during the clutch moments. Remember his 2-run homer in game 6 in the 2024 World Series against the Yankees? Banda was not enough to refer to Edman as Pikachu. Rather, he termed Max Muncy as Bulbasaur.
Well, Bulbasaur doing impossible tasks links to Muncy. Indeed, the Dodgers look like a stacked-up Pokemon team.
The Dodgers look like a whole Pokemon squad in 2025
“We got Freddie Freeman, the Charmander,” Banda added. Apt enough. Those mammoth hits of Freeman remind the fans of Charmander’s devastating attacks with more damage. While Banda relates a few Pokemon characters with his teammates, this year, the entire Dodgers look like a Pokemon squad. The team has diverse players like the diverse Pokemon characters.
The Dodgers hitting squad includes Freeman, Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Max Muncy, and Edman, to name a few. That’s approximately worth 9 homers this spring coming to the field. Enough to prove the powers this team offers. “There’s so much talk about Ohtani, Roki Sasaki. Being their teammate, it’s been like experiencing this moment with them,” Banda added about the Dodgers’ pitchers.
On the pitching side with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow, there are still players left on the team, like Bobby Miller in the bullpen.
Remember, Ohtani will also return as the pitcher soon. Only these names got 37 strikeouts in the spring! Yes, a powerful Pokémon team like that would terrify the opposing team. The starting roster for tomorrow’s Tokyo Series includes all these names, waiting to go, all guns blazing. Tomorrow’s game will also showcase what Edman can offer. While Pikachu still serves his trainer at his best, Edman also has a job to prove starting tomorrow.
The land of Pokemons will witness the epic rivalry between the Dodgers and the Cubs. With Edman, Freeman, and others, a few Pokemon-like instincts will hopefully grace the occasion.
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