History of Tommy Pham in Timeline

Tommy Pham is a Major League Baseball outfielder currently playing for the New York Mets. Over his MLB career, he has played for several teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1900: First Cardinals Batter Since 1900

In 2017, Tommy Pham finished the season batting .306/.411/.520 with 23 home runs and 25 stolen bases. He 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. He placed 11th in the National League MVP voting.

March 8, 1988: Tommy Pham's Birth

On March 8, 1988, Thomas James Pham, who would become a professional baseball outfielder, was born.

2006: Minor League Debut with Johnson City Cardinals

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, committing 22 errors in 37 games.

2006: Pham Drafted by Cardinals, forgoes College

In 2006, Tommy Pham was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 16th round of the MLB draft. He chose professional baseball over his commitments to Arizona and Cal State Fullerton, receiving a $325,000 signing bonus.

2007: Shift to Outfield

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

2008: Experienced Vision Problems

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

2008: High Strikeout Year

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

2009: Played in High-A

In 2009, Tommy Pham batted .232/.313/.378 in 380 plate appearances in High-A.

2009: Started Wearing Contact Lenses

In 2009, Tommy Pham began 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.

June 2011: Wrist ligament tear

In June 2011, Tommy Pham tore a wrist ligament during a game. He played 40 games that year and batted .294.

2012: Torn Labrum Injury

In early 2012, Tommy Pham suffered a torn left shoulder labrum, which sidelined him for most of the season. He batted .154 for the Double-A Springfield Cardinals.

2013: Another Labrum Tear

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

September 7, 2014: First MLB Call-Up

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

2014: Solid Season with Memphis

In 2014, Tommy Pham played most of the season for Memphis, batting .324 with 63 runs scored, 16 doubles, 6 triples, and 10 home runs.

July 3, 2015: Cardinals Recalled Pham

On July 3, 2015, the Cardinals recalled Tommy Pham to the major league club. The next day, he doubled for his first major league hit, stole his first base, and scored his first run. On July 5, he hit his first major league home run and drove in all three of the Cardinals' runs.

2015: Postseason Debut

In 2015, Tommy Pham made his major league postseason debut with the Cardinals as a pinch hitter during Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Cubs, hitting his first career home run against Jon Lester. The Cardinals won the National League Central division that year.

2016: High Strikeout Percentage

In 2016, Tommy Pham batted .226 for the Cardinals. He had the highest strikeout percentage against left-handed pitchers (41.7%) and the highest strikeout percentage in the major leagues (38.8%) among batters with 180 or more plate appearances.

2016: Injured on Opening Day

In 2016, Tommy Pham was selected for the Cardinals' Opening Day roster but injured his left oblique during batting practice and was placed on the DL. He was reactivated from the DL on May 17 and optioned back to Memphis.

2017: Return to Cardinals Roster

In 2017, Tommy Pham did not make the Opening Day roster but was recalled to the Cardinals on May 5 after performing well at Memphis.

July 31, 2018: Traded to Tampa Bay Rays

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

2018: Forehead Injury

On April 25, 2018, while practicing in a batting cage, a resistance band contraption that Tommy Pham designed himself broke, and his bat snapped off the band and hit him in the forehead, resulting in blunt trauma. He was removed from the game but not placed on the disabled list.

2018: Starting Center Fielder

Prior to the 2018 season, the Cardinals named Tommy Pham their starting center fielder.

April 5, 2019: Reached base streak

On April 5, 2019, Tommy Pham reached base for the 40th straight game, marking the longest streak in Rays history.

December 6, 2019: Traded to San Diego Padres

On December 6, 2019, Tommy Pham and 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: PTBNL named

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

October 11, 2020: Stabbed in San Diego

On October 11, 2020, Tommy Pham was stabbed during a fight in San Diego and underwent surgery at UC San Diego Health.

October 2020: Stabbed in San Diego

In October 2020, Tommy Pham was involved in an altercation outside a strip club in San Diego, during which he was stabbed in his lower back. He underwent surgery and received 200 stitches, describing his injuries as "catastrophic."

2020: Fractured Hamate Bone

In the 2020 pandemic-shortened season, Tommy Pham slashed .211/.312/.312 for the Padres. On August 16, he suffered a fractured hamate bone in his left hand, requiring surgery and causing him to miss a month of action.

2020: Wrist Surgery

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

2021: 2021 Season and Free Agency

In 2021, Tommy Pham batted .229 with 15 home runs for the Padres and led the major leagues with 30 pinch hitting appearances. On November 3, the Padres granted him free agency.

March 26, 2022: Signed with Cincinnati Reds

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

August 1, 2022: Traded to 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 Mutual Option

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

January 24, 2023: Signed with New York Mets

On January 24, 2023, Tommy Pham signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the New York Mets. He became the team's starting left fielder and was described as a valuable right-handed batter.

August 1, 2023: Traded to Arizona Diamondbacks

On August 1, 2023, the Mets traded Tommy Pham and cash considerations to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for prospect Jeremy Rodriguez. Pham contributed to the Diamondbacks' postseason run, helping the team reach the World Series, and later became a free agent.

April 15, 2024: Signed with Chicago White Sox

On April 15, 2024, Tommy Pham signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox.

July 29, 2024: Traded back to the St. Louis Cardinals

On July 29, 2024, the White Sox traded Tommy Pham back to the St. Louis Cardinals as part of a three-team deal that also involved the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tommy Pham hit a grand slam in his first at-bat of his return to the Cardinals on July 30.