Dodgers Bounceback Candidates: Joc Pederson

As the season approaches we are taking a look at some bounceback candidates for the Dodgers going into the 2016 season. On Monday Alex made his case for Yasiel Puig and today I wanted to make my case for Joc Pederson.

From the moment he was drafted there was a weight placed on Joc Pederson’s shoulder. A weight to live up to all the expectations. As a top prospect in the Dodgers organization since the draft in 2010, it was common for head Dodger executives to watch the boy as he made his way through the minors. It is rumored that Tommy Lasorda had a close connection with Joc Pederson and his journey to the majors.

This may sound great at first, however knowing that in the back of your head, it is impossible to ignore that people have high expectations of you. High expectations in most cases are great things, but in the game of baseball where success means failing seven out of ten times, it is going to come with its challenges.

Playing for the Dodgers, such a storied franchise and being a center fielder, Pederson had some huge shoes to fill. Pederson started off the 2015 season well. I mean as well as any rookie who is adjusting to major league pitching could start out.

In the first half of the season he had a BA of .230 and an OBP of .851. Through those 89 games, he had 69 hits and 20 of those were homeruns. Pederson had power at the plate and as a fan, you couldn’t help but have your heartbeat quicken when he came up to the plate, hoping to see one of those homeruns again that sometimes went so far it was hard to tell where they landed.

He impressed many and even earned a spot on the All Star team. Pederson also got to compete in the Homerun Derby where he made it to the final round and hit 14 homeruns, but finished second against Todd Fraizer. The Dodgers were beginning to see the ballplayer they knew was there in the young man they drafted in 2010. At just the age of 23, Joc Pederson could say he had made it to the majors, been named an All Star and competed in a Homerun Derby against one of his idols, Albert Pujols.

Perhaps my favorite moment with Joc Pederson in the first half of the 2015 season, took place on June 14. If you do not already have an idea of where I’m going with this, I will paint you the picture. Bottom of the ninth and the ballgame is tied. Dodgers at the Padres. The Padres have two outs and two runners on. Justin Upton comes up to the plate and crushes a ball on a 3-0 count. There’s no doubt in his mind that he just hit the walk-off homerun and his teammates are all going to meet him at homeplate, but he underestimated who was in centerfield. Pederson charges towards the wall after playing a little further in. He tracks the ball the whole way, makes the catch, runs into the padded wall at full speed and lands flat on his back. Most important of all, he landed flat on his back with the ball in his glove. Pederson saved the day, saved Juan Nicasio‘s ERA and proved in that moment that not only could he play centerfield, but he could be a centerfielder for the Dodgers. The Dodgers would go into extra innings and later win the game 4-2.

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However, not everything for Pederson was smooth sailing. After setting the bar pretty high with his offense and defense, the second half of the season was a let down. In the last 62 games of the 2015 season, Pederson’s BA dipped to .178 and his OBP dropped to .617. Most frustrating of all, he only had 32 hits with 6 homeruns. Pitchers now knew the pitches Joc liked most and were coming up with new strategies when he came to the plate. In return, Pederson was clearly having a hard time adjusting to those new strategies in the batter’s box.

The happy Joc that could be found giggling in the dugout during the first half, was replaced with a frustrated Joc who could not seem to make contact in the second half. Often times you could see him run it out to first base when he struck out, looking so defeated. He seemed to have lost his power, and with it some joy.

The struggles got to the point where Don Mattingly could no longer put him in the starting lineup. Enrique Hernandez was given the starting centerfield job. Hernandez refers to himself as the “super utility” man for the Dodgers, but when Pederson was struggling, he took over. Hernandez started a total of 51 games last season and had a BA of .309 and an OPS of .841. He stepped up to  the plate when it seemed that Pederson just could not find his rhythm.

Coming into 2016, personally I think Joc just needs to settle into his approach at the plate. During the second half of 2015, he tried making multiple different adjustments to his swing and nothing seemed to work. I think he needs to just focus on what makes him comfortable at the plate instead of immediately changing his swing when his numbers dip. Pederson will always be some what of a low average hitter. He is not the type of guy that gets on base from a bunt, but he can hit for power. If he can find a way to maintain that power in the long run and keep up his defensive ability, he will be the player everyone knows he can be.

His second half may have been rough, but it does not reflect Joc’s potential as a major league centerfielder. The first half of the season, the Dodgers saw what he can do. Going forward Joc’s focus needs to be on learning to maintain that and adjust his strategy at the plate. If Joc can return to that All Star, power hitting and highlight real defensive player he was the first half of 2015 for 2016, the Dodgers will have greatness in centerfield day in and day out.