Joc Pederson, Outfield, San Francisco Giants

Date of Birth: 4/21/1992
Birthplace: Palo Alto, California

Joc Pederson, outfielder for the San Francisco Giants, is following in the footsteps of his father Stu who played in the minor leagues from 1981 through 1992 and with the Los Angeles Dodgers in eight games in 1985. Joc was drafted by the Dodgers in 2010.

Pederson played in the Dodgers' minor league system from 2010 through most of 2014. During that time, he batted .302 with 495 hits, 87 doubles, 84 home runs, 113 stolen bases, 271 RBIs, and 412 strikeouts to 268 walks in 441 games. Defensively, he played 289 games in center field, 101 games in left field, and 37 games in right field. In 2014, he was named the Pacific Coast League MVP and the PCL Rookie of the Year.

Pederson hit his first major league home run on April 12, 2015. A few weeks later, on May 1st, he hit his first major league grand slam. He finished the 2015 season with 101 hits, 19 doubles, 26 home runs, 54 RBIs, and a .210 batting average in 151 games. As the Dodgers' center fielder, he made 269 putouts and 4 errors in 147 games. He had no hits, one strikeout, and four walks in five postseason games.

Pederson batted .246 in 137 games with the Dodgers in 2016. He finished the season with 100 hits, 26 doubles, 25 home runs, and 68 RBIs. Defensively, as the Dodgers' center fielder in 286 games, he made 538 putouts and 6 errors. In the postseason, he had 9 hits, including 2 doubles and a home run, and 4 RBIs in 36 at-bats in 11 games.

Pederson finished the 2017 season with 58 hits, 20 doubles, 11 home runs, 35 RBIs, 68 strikeouts to 39 walks, and a .212 batting average in 102 games. Defensively, as a center fielder in 92 games, he made 133 putouts and 1 error.

Pederson had a good postseason offensively in 2017. In 23 at-bats in 11 games, he had 3 home runs and 3 doubles, 5 RBIs, and a .304 batting average. He tied up the second game of the World Series with a home run in the 5th inning. He had a three run home run in the 9th inning of Game 4 to give the Dodgers a 6-1 lead and he had a solo home run in the 7th inning of Game 6.

Pederson batted .248 in 148 games in 2018. He finished the season with 98 hits, 27 doubles, 25 home runs, 56 RBIs, and 85 strikeouts to 40 walks. Defensively, as a left fielder in 116 games, he made 118 putouts and 1 error. In the postseason, he batted .205 with 8 hits, 1 double, 2 home runs, and 2 RBIs in 39 at-bats in 16 games. He struck out 13 times and walked once.

Pederson finished the 2019 season with 112 hits, 16 doubles, 36 home runs, 74 RBIs, 111 strikeouts to 50 walks, and a .249 batting average in 149 games. Defensively, he played 20 games at first base, 84 games in left field, 2 games in center field, and 39 games in right field. In the postseason, he batted .267 with 4 hits, 2 doubles, 1 home run, 1 RBI, and 5 strikeouts to 2 walks in 15 at-bats in 5 games.

Pederson played in 43 games in 2020. He finished the season with 23 hits, 4 doubles, 7 home runs, 16 RBIs, and a .190 batting average. Defensively, he played 23 games in left field and 8 games in right field. He was the Dodgers' DH in 12 games. He played well in the postseason, batting .382 with 13 hits, 2 home runs, and 8 RBIs in 34 at-bats in 16 games.

Pederson became a free agent on October 28, 2020. He signed with the Chicago Cubs on February 5, 2021. He was traded to the Atlanta Braves on July 15, 2021. He finished the 2021 season with 102 hits, 19 doubles, 18 home runs, 61 RBIs, 117 strikeouts to 39 walks, and a .238 batting average in 73 games with the Cubs and 64 games with the Braves. In the postseason, he had 9 hits, 3 home runs, and 9 RBIs in 44 at-bats in 15 games.

Pederson became a free agent on November 5, 2021. He signed with the Giants on March 17, 2022.

Career batting statistics for Pederson through 2021 include:

• 885 games played
• 598 hits
• 131 doubles
• 148 home runs
• 364 RBIs
• 726 strikeouts to 343 walks
• .232 batting average

Personal Life

Pederson's brother Tyger was also in the Dodgers' system in 2013, playing in the minor leagues. He also played in the minors in 2014.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Joc Pederson
ESPN - Joc Pederson
Baseball Reference - Joc Pederson