History of Tommy Pham in Timeline

Tommy Pham is a professional baseball outfielder, currently a free agent, with a lengthy MLB career. He has played for numerous teams, including the Cardinals, Rays, Padres, Reds, Red Sox, Mets, Diamondbacks, White Sox, Royals and Pirates, showcasing his adaptability and experience within the league.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1900: Cardinals Batting Record

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.

March 8, 1988: Tommy Pham's Birth

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

2006: First Vietnamese Descent Player Since 2006

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

2006: Minor League Career Began

In 2006, Tommy Pham began his minor league career with the Rookie League Johnson City Cardinals, batting .231 with one home run.

2006: Selected by the Cardinals in the MLB draft

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

2006: Opted for Professional Baseball

In 2006, after being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals, Tommy Pham chose professional baseball over college, receiving a $325,000 signing bonus.

2007: Shifted to Outfield

In 2007, Tommy Pham transitioned 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 Impairment and Recovery

In 2008, Tommy Pham experienced a vision impairment related to keratoconus, but he successfully overcame it the following year with contact lenses.

2008: High Strikeout Year

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

2008: Vision Problems

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

2009: Played in High-A

In 2009, Tommy Pham batted .232 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, impacting his season.

June 2011: Tore Wrist Ligament

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

2012: Torn Left Shoulder Labrum

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

2013: Second Labrum Tear

In 2013, after being promoted to Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, Tommy Pham tore his other labrum, but returned to play for Springfield after rehabilitation. He batted .264 for Memphis in 30 games.

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, but he struck out in his only two plate appearances that year.

2014: Strong Season in Memphis

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: Recalled to Major League Club

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

2015: Postseason Debut

In 2015, Tommy Pham made his major league postseason debut as a pinch hitter in Game 1 of the National League Division Series (NLDS) against the Cubs, hitting his first career home run against Jon Lester.

2016: High Strikeout Percentage

In 2016, Tommy Pham played 78 games for the Cardinals, batting .226. He had the highest strikeout percentage against left-handed pitchers (41.7%) and the highest strikeout percentage in the major leagues (38.8%) of all batters with 180 or more plate appearances.

2016: Opening Day Roster and Oblique Injury

In 2016, Tommy Pham was selected for the Cardinals' Opening Day roster but injured his left oblique during batting practice on Opening Day and was the first player placed on the DL that season.

2017: Exceptional Performance with the Cardinals

In 2017, Tommy Pham achieved a milestone by becoming 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.

2017: Rejoined the Cardinals Roster

In 2017, after a strong performance at Memphis, Tommy Pham was recalled to the Cardinals on May 5.

July 31, 2018: Traded to 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, for minor leaguers Justin Williams, Génesis Cabrera, and Roel Ramírez.

2018: Forehead Injury

On April 25, 2018, Tommy Pham sustained a blunt trauma to the head and a significant contusion when a resistance band contraption he designed failed and struck him in the forehead with his bat. He was removed from the game but was 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, which was the longest in Rays history.

December 6, 2019: Traded to San Diego Padres

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

March 2020: Player to be Named Later Named

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

October 11, 2020: Stabbing Incident

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

October 2020: Stabbing Incident

In October 2020, Tommy Pham was involved in an altercation outside a strip club in San Diego and was stabbed in his lower back, requiring surgery and 200 stitches.

2020: Fractured Hamate Bone

During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, on August 16, Tommy Pham suffered a fractured hamate bone in his left hand and underwent surgery, causing him to miss a month of action.

2020: Wrist Surgery

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

2021: Free Agency

In 2021, Tommy Pham batted .229 with 15 home runs and 14 stolen bases. 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, expressing his focus on personal performance.

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.

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 17-year-old prospect Jeremy Rodriguez.