If you don’t know the name “Joc Pederson” yet, you should. And you will. The 23-year old rookie center fielder for the Dodgers is putting the league on notice that this is not simply a “Trout-Stanton-Bryant-Harper” world. Pederson hit a homer last night, the fifth consecutive game he’s gone yard. That was his 17th on the season, good enough for second in the majors behind Bryce Harper. He has a .998 OPS to go along with that high homer total (seventh in the majors) and a solid .393 OBP. Pederson has helped the Dodgers remain in the top spot in the National League West even amidst the absence of an injured Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford, and a beat up pitching staff.
Pederson, a native of Palo Alto, CA was drafted by the Dodgers in the 11th round of the 2010 draft and he quickly started to tear up the minors. In his five seasons on the farm, he smashed 84 homers, knocked in 271 runs, hit at a .302 clip and recorded a .929 OPS. He received a September 1st call-up last season and in 38 plate appearances wasn’t impressive only recording 4 singles. Pederson made the Opening Day lineup this season and has been a breath of fresh air.
In an already strong rookie class in the National League, Pederson is making a case for himself for Rookie of the Year. He leads all rookies in homers, runs, and is third in RBI. Pederson’s fifth consecutive game with a home run tied the club record which was held by Shawn Green, Matt Kemp, and Roy Campanella and is the first rookie to accomplish that feat since the Orioles’ Caleb Joseph did it last year. His 17 homers are a Dodgers rookie record through 53 games. While the Dodgers are only 2-3 in those five games, the excitement that Pederson brings to the park can’t be objectively measured.
Not only does he hit a lot of homers he hits them far! Among qualifying hitters (6 HR min.), Pederson has hit the ball further than anyone. Giancarlo Stanton is a full ten feet behind him. The following table (Courtesy of ESPN Home Run Tracker) shows the other big mashers.
| Name | Team | HR | Avg. Distance |
| Pederson, Joc | LAD | 17 | 428.7 |
| Hosmer, Eric | KC | 7 | 424.3 |
| Duda, Lucas | NYM | 9 | 421.3 |
| Morales, Kendrys | KC | 6 | 420.8 |
| Fielder, Prince | TEX | 10 | 419.9 |
| Encarnacion, Edwin | TOR | 12 | 419 |
| Stanton, Giancarlo | MIA | 17 | 418.2 |
Obviously hitting home runs is nice, but there’s more to the game than that. Pederson has shown a propensity of striking out (64 SO in 220 PA) and he doesn’t necessarily bring a ton of speed. But striking out is no reason to panic. Bryce Harper, while he still strikes out a ton, has shown improved patience at the plate and that is something that Pederson has shown. He has 35 walks, a good indication that he’s not just up there hacking (though a large chunk of those came when he was hitting eighth).
Pederson, playing on the west coast, gets lost in the shuffle especially since he’s a new name. However, Trout plays out there too and he’s on everyone’s wish list for their teams. So rest assured, if he keeps up the air display, Pederson will become a household name along with the young studs.
