Los Angeles Dodgers: Joc Pederson’s Upward Trend

After an opposite field home run yesterday – his third bomb of the spring – Joc Pederson is showing improvement commensurate with expectations since he was first called up to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pederson, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Top Prospect in 2013, was expected to be a five-tool player with an immediate and franchise-changing impact. Called up at the end of 2014, he was over-matched in his first stint with the big club, notching only four hits in 28 at-bats with 11 strikeouts.

Heading into 2015 with a clear path to the starting center field job, he handled the expectations with aplomb, launching 20 home runs in the first half en route to an All-Star appearance, the Dodgers’ first rookie position player to receive that honor since Mike Piazza in 1993.

The league figured out Pederson in the second half, however, as his batting average plummeted to a woeful .178 as he only mustered six more four-baggers the rest of the season. He finished a disappointing sixth in Rookie of the Year voting, but optimism was still high for the 23-year old as his 2016 campaign commenced.

Though he improved his OPS to a respectable .847, he stagnated elsewhere, compiling one less home run and one less hit than his rookie season. Then there were the strikeouts – 130 in 2016, in only 406 at-bats.

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Though the numbers did not improve, there were auspicious indicators of performance – despite the strikeouts, his contact rate and average exit velocity increased. He began to hit the ball to the opposite field, changing his mechanics from his entry path to bat angle. The results showed – he blasted seven home runs in 25 September games. Perhaps more indicative of the improvement, he hit .286, his highest batting average in a single month.

Which brings us to 2017. Though spring training stats are secondary, manager Dave Roberts says to “trust the process.” That is precisely what Pederson appears to be doing. The opposite field blast is indicative that he is keeping his front shoulder in and trusting his swing, which should lead to a more balanced approach and, the Dodgers hope, improved numbers.

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With three home runs already in Spring Training through his first 19 at-bats and a pristine 1.000 OPS, Pederson is showing that the improvement is tangible. At 24 years old, the Dodgers look to be in great position to take advantage of his upward trend. With Corey Seager in tow and cannot miss prospect Cody Bellinger in the wings, the trio may combine to form a murderer’s row in Chavez Ravine for the Los Angeles Dodgers.