History of Tommy Pham in Timeline

Thomas James "Tommy" Pham is a professional baseball outfielder currently playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has had a journeyman career in MLB, having played for numerous teams including the St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, and Kansas City Royals. He is known for his skills as an outfielder and his contributions to various teams throughout his MLB career.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1900: First Cardinals Batter Since 1900

In 2017, Tommy Pham became the first Cardinals batter since 1900 to record at least a .300 average, 20 home runs, 20 doubles, and 20 stolen bases in the same season, finishing 11th in the NL MVP voting.

1900: Last Cardinals Batter

In 2017, Tommy Pham became the first Cardinals batter since 1900 to record at least a .300 batting average, 20 home runs, 20 doubles, and 20 stolen bases in the same season.

March 8, 1988: Tommy Pham Born

On March 8, 1988, Thomas James Pham, who would become a Major League Baseball outfielder, was born.

2006: First Person of Vietnamese Descent in MLB Since 2006

In 2006, Tommy Pham became the first person of Vietnamese descent to play in MLB since pitcher Danny Graves.

2006: Minor League Debut

In 2006, Tommy Pham began his minor league career with the Rookie League Johnson City Cardinals, batting .231 with one home run. He played shortstop and committed 22 errors.

2006: Opted for Professional Baseball

In 2006, Tommy Pham opted for professional baseball after being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals, foregoing commitments to play college baseball at Arizona and Cal State Fullerton. He also received a $325,000 signing bonus.

2006: Drafted by the Cardinals

In 2006, Tommy Pham was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 16th round of the MLB draft, beginning his professional baseball career.

2007: Shift to Outfield

In 2007, Tommy Pham was shifted to the outfield and played for the Low-A Batavia Muckdogs and Single-A Swing of the Quad Cities, batting .188 with two home runs.

2008: Vision Problems

In 2008, Tommy Pham began experiencing vision problems due to keratoconus, a rare eye disorder.

2008: Season with Single-A and High-A Teams

In 2008, Tommy Pham played for Single-A Quad Cities and the High-A Palm Beach Cardinals, recording a career-high 156 strikeouts and batting .203.

2009: High-A Season

In 2009, Tommy Pham batted .232 in 380 plate appearances in High-A.

2009: Started Wearing Contact Lenses

In 2009, Tommy Pham started wearing contact lenses to correct his vision, achieving 20/15 vision in both eyes.

2010: Wrist Fracture

In 2010, Tommy Pham suffered a small fracture in his wrist, impacting his playing season.

June 2011: Wrist Ligament Tear

In June 2011, Tommy Pham tore a wrist ligament during a game, limiting him to 40 games where he batted .294.

2012: Shoulder Labrum Tear

In early 2012, Tommy Pham tore his left shoulder labrum, causing him to miss most of the season. He batted .154 in 43 plate appearances for the Double-A Springfield Cardinals.

2013: Second Labrum Tear

In 2013, after being promoted to Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, Tommy Pham tore his other labrum, requiring rehabilitation and a return to Springfield. He batted .264 for Memphis and .301 for Springfield.

September 7, 2014: First Major League Call-Up

On September 7, 2014, Tommy Pham was called up to the major leagues for the first time with the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2014, he struck out in his only two plate appearances.

2014: Season with Memphis Redbirds

In 2014, Tommy Pham played most of the season for Memphis, batting .324 with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs in 104 games.

July 3, 2015: Cardinals Recall

On July 3, 2015, the Cardinals recalled Tommy Pham to the major league club.

2015: Season with Memphis

In 2015, Tommy Pham started the season with Memphis, missing the first two months with a strained left quadriceps. After returning, he hit two home runs and a career-high five RBI against the Iowa Cubs. He was also named the best defensive outfielder of the PCL by Baseball America.

2015: Postseason Debut and Home Run

In 2015, after the Cardinals won the National League Central division, Tommy Pham made his major league postseason debut in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Cubs, hitting his first career home run against Jon Lester.

2016: Season Statistics and Strikeout Rate

In 2016, Tommy Pham batted .226 for the Cardinals with a high strikeout rate, leading the major leagues in strikeout percentage among batters with 180 or more plate appearances.

2016: Opening Day Oblique Injury

In 2016, after being selected for the Opening Day roster, Tommy Pham injured his left oblique during batting practice on Opening Day and was placed on the DL, later being reactivated and optioned back to Memphis.

2017: Exceptional Season with the Cardinals

In 2017, Tommy Pham achieved a milestone season with the Cardinals, recording at least a .300 batting average, 20 home runs, 20 doubles, and 20 stolen bases, making him the first Cardinals batter to reach this combination of statistics since 1900.

2017: Return to the Cardinals

In 2017, Tommy Pham began the season in Memphis and after batting .283 he was recalled to the Cardinals on May 5.

July 31, 2018: Trade to the Tampa Bay Rays

On July 31, 2018, Tommy Pham was traded by the Cardinals to the Tampa Bay Rays, along with $500,000 of international bonus pool money, in exchange for minor leaguers Justin Williams, Génesis Cabrera, and Roel Ramírez. Pham expressed disappointment following the trade.

2018: Starting Center Fielder

Before the 2018 season, the Cardinals named Tommy Pham their starting center fielder, recognizing his value to the team.

2018: Forehead Injury

On April 25, 2018, while practicing in a batting cage, Tommy Pham was struck in the forehead by a bat, resulting in blunt trauma and a contusion; he was removed from the game but avoided the disabled list. In 2018, Pham batted .248 for the Cardinals.

April 5, 2019: Reached Base Streak

On April 5, 2019, Tommy Pham reached base for the 40th consecutive game, setting a new record for the longest streak in Tampa Bay Rays history.

December 6, 2019: Traded to the San Diego Padres

On December 6, 2019, Tommy Pham, along with Jake Cronenworth, were traded to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Hunter Renfroe, Xavier Edwards, and a player to be named later.

March 2020: Player named in Padres trade

In March 2020, Esteban Quiroz was named as the player to be named later in the December 6, 2019 trade that sent Tommy Pham and Jake Cronenworth to the San Diego Padres.

October 11, 2020: Stabbing Incident in San Diego

On October 11, 2020, Tommy Pham was stabbed during a fight in San Diego after leaving a local strip club, requiring surgery at UC San Diego Health.

October 2020: Stabbing Incident

In October 2020, Tommy Pham was stabbed in his lower back during an altercation outside a strip club in San Diego, requiring surgery and 200 stitches. He later described the injuries as "catastrophic."

2020: Pandemic Season and Hamate Fracture

In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Tommy Pham played for the San Diego Padres, batting .211. On August 16, he suffered a fractured hamate bone in his left hand, requiring surgery and missing a month of action.

2020: Wrist Surgery

Later in the 2020 offseason, Tommy Pham underwent a third surgery since August, this time to address a tear in the cartilage on the small finger side of his left wrist.

2021: Season Stats with Padres

In 2021, Tommy Pham batted .229 with 15 home runs and 14 stolen bases for the Padres, leading the major leagues with 30 pinch hitting appearances. At the end of the season, on November 3, the Padres granted him free agency.

March 26, 2022: Signed with the Cincinnati Reds

On March 26, 2022, Tommy Pham signed a one-year contract, with a mutual option for 2023, with the Cincinnati Reds, expressing a focus on personal statistical goals.

August 1, 2022: Traded to the Boston Red Sox

On August 1, 2022, Tommy Pham was traded to the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

November 10, 2022: Declined Contract Option

On November 10, 2022, the Red Sox and Tommy Pham both declined a mutual option, making him a free agent after batting .236 for the season.

January 24, 2023: Signed with the New York Mets

On January 24, 2023, Tommy Pham signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the New York Mets and became the team's starting left fielder.

August 1, 2023: Traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks

On August 1, 2023, the Mets traded Tommy Pham and cash considerations to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for 17-year-old prospect Jeremy Rodriguez. Pham batted .241 for Arizona, and the team made the World Series.