The Los Angeles Dodgers organization knows a thing or two about building and developing talent to compete in Major League Baseball. The Dodgers have produced Baseball Hall of Famers such as Don Sutton, Sandy Koufax, Duke Snider, and Jackie Robinson just to name a few. And even current MLB players that started with the Dodgers, but are no longer with them such as Miami Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon and Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre are among the best in baseball at their respective positions. The Dodgers have always been at the forefront of developing players and that is once again on display this season with outfielder Joc Pederson.
Joc Pederson
The Dodgers selected Pederson in the 11th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft and he very quickly worked his way up through their organization. Pederson didn’t make his professional debut until last September as he hit just .143 in 28 at-bats, but he managed to have an on-base percentage of .351. Pederson would have been with the Dodgers sooner in 2014, but there was a logjam in their outfield last season. But after the Dodgers loss last October in the National League Divisional Series to the St. Louis Cardinals, there were wholesale changes made within the organization.
Longtime Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti took a new role within the organization as a senior advisor while former Tampa Bay Rays general manager Andrew Friedman became the Dodgers president of baseball operations and former Oakland Athletics director of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi became the Dodgers new general manager. Colletti liked to spend the big bucks in hopes to improve the club while Friedman and Zaidi want to keep it closer to the chest and in the process, analyze stats and sabermetrics more than anything else. This led the Dodgers to trade outfielder Matt Kemp to the San Diego Padres last off-season which made room in Los Angeles’ everyday lineup for Pederson who has not disappointed.
So far this season Pederson is batting .271 with an on-base percentage of .427. Pederson also has 9 home runs and 18 runs batted in as in a very short period of time he has found his way into a veteran laden Dodgers lineup. And Pederson has had seven consecutive hits have all been of the long ball variety as he has become the first player to do that since Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce in 2013.
At 6’1″, Pederson has a very smooth and fluid stroke at the plate for his size and he will make the folks in the bleachers at Dodger Stadium very happy because he has the ability to deposit a large amount of baseballs there. Pederson is no flash in the pan as he’ll definitely be in the running to be named as the National League’s Rookie of the Year which the Dodgers know a thing or two about. Former Dodgers second baseman Jackie Robinson was the first MLB player to be named as the league’s Rookie of the Year as he won it in 1947. Since then the Dodgers organization has gone on to produce 14 NL Rookie of the Year Award winners and Pederson could join them.
Pederson also gives Dodgers manager Don Mattingly more balance in his lineup as he, along with catcher Yasmani Grandal, outfielders Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez all hit left-handed. Another left-handed bat like Pederson gives Mattingly the option the alternate from both sides of the plate in the Dodgers batting order.
The Dodgers are expected to once again do big things this season and they’ll be judged solely off of their ability to qualify for the playoffs and what they can potentially do in the month of October. So far Pederson doesn’t seem fazed by the bright baseball spotlight in Los Angeles and by the looks of things for the Dodgers, they once again have a star in the makings.
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