Dodgers World Series MVP Candidates

Joc Pederson

A tale of two hitters Pederson has been. Joc had a great resurgence this postseason, and it’s an excellent testament to the hard work he put in this season.

Pederson struggled during the regular season, hitting in the low .200s with a career-low 11 home runs. His performance resulted in not only losing his starting job but a demotion to the minor leagues. Joc did not make the NLDS roster, and it seemed likely that the Dodgers were moving on from him as a core player. Until the NLCS.

Joc was given a chance in the NLCS when Corey Seager was not on the roster due to a lingering back issue. Joc was given one start in the NLCS and homered off Kyle Hendricks to help the Dodgers secure a 6-1 win. That homer along with Curtis Granderson’s lack of production led to Roberts giving him the final roster spot in the World Series. And boy has that paid off.

Joc is having himself a World Series to remember. Joc’s slash line is .357/.438/1.143 with a team-high 3 home runs and 5 RBI (tied with Bellinger). He has 5 hits in 14 at-bats, and all 5 of those hits have been for extra bases (3 HR, 2 2B).

Joc has started 4 games this series and has had an impact in each of those starts. He had a solo homer off Verlander in game 2 to break up a no-hitter. He hit a 3-run homer to break open game 4 off Musgrove. And last night he had another solo homer to extend the Dodgers lead to 3-1. The Dodgers have won 3 of the 4 games he has started. He’s certainly making a case for WS MVP if the Dodgers win the championship.