Joc Pederson

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #2 prospect in 2015
  In most organizations, Pederson would have been up by the 2014 all-star break, but a congested outfield in Los Angeles kept Pederson in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, where he won the MVP award, until he made his major league debut as a September callup. Pederson took advantage of Albuquerque's extremely hitter-friendly conditions, blasting 33 homers, stealing 30 bases and leading the PCL in walks (100) and on-base percentage (.435). He also hit .274/.385/.523 in 63 road games and showed all the attributes that should allow his success to translate to the majors. Pederson is about as well-rounded as prospects come, showing five average to plus tools. He has good balance, keeps his weight back and explodes through the zone with good bat speed, a sound stroke and plus raw power. He's an aggressive hitter with some movement in the box, and while his strikeout rate jumped from 22 percent at Double-A Chattanooga in 2013 to 27 percent in 2014, he's also a patient hitter who understands the strike zone and should draw plenty of walks. He's a slightly above-average runner with an aggressive mindset on the basepaths, making him a threat to steal 20 bases. His reads and routes off the bat in center field improved, making him an average defender for the position with an above-average arm, albeit with inconsistent accuracy. Once the Dodgers sort through their outfield logjam, Pederson should emerge as the center fielder in Los Angeles. He has a chance to become an above-average player immediately, with future star potential.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #1 prospect in 2014
  Coming out of high school, Pederson had the option of playing baseball at Southern California and joining the football team as a walk-on wide receiver. Instead, he signed with the Dodgers for $600,000 at the 2010 signing deadline as an 11th-round pick. Pederson performed well in the Rookie-level Pioneer League the following year and has consistently combined strong offensive production with a well-rounded skill set at every level. After a stellar season in the Double-A Southern League where managers voted him the league's best defensive outfielder and most exciting player, Pederson became an on-base machine playing winter ball in the Venezuelan League. He should easily eclipse the career of his father Stu Pederson, who played in eight major league games with the Dodgers as an outfielder in 1985. The Dodgers drafted Joc's older brother Tyger out of Pacific in the 33rd round in 2013. Pederson spent 2013 at Double-A Chattanooga, where he was teammates with Yasiel Puig for the first half of the season. Dodgers officials believe the competition brought out the best in both of them. Pederson is a multi-dimensional player whose tools are average to plus across the board, with comparisons ranging from Curtis Granderson and Jim Edmonds. He has a balanced hitting approach and keeps his hands back against righthanders. He's a patient hitter who ranked fifth in the Southern League in walks (70) and third in on-base percentage (.381). He also led the league in slugging (.497) and ranked second in home runs (22) thanks to his plus raw power, though sometimes that juice is more evident in batting practice than in games because he's still learning how to backspin balls. Pederson's most glaring offensive hole is against lefthanders, who turn him into a completely different player. He hit .316/.420/.609 against Double-A righthanders but lefties held him to a .200/.299/.269 line, and 20 of his 22 homers came against righties. He tends to fly off and get pull-conscious against southpaws, so he needs to do a better job staying through the baseball and using the left-center field gap. Pederson runs a tick above-average and makes good use of his wheels on the bases, with the potential for 20-30 stolen bases per year. He's not a burner, but he did a better job improving his routes and jumps in center field this season with a solid-average arm. He's solid defensively in center field but could slide over to a corner depending on which outfielders the Dodgers hold on to from their current surplus. The Dodgers have a crowded outfield picture before even considering Pederson with Puig, Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier in Los Angeles. Despite that, he he could force his way to Los Angeles at some point in 2014, possibly by Opening Day depending on what moves the Dodgers make. With his patience, power, speed and athleticism, Pederson has the skills to contribute in all phases of the game as an above-average everyday player, with even greater potential if he can improve against lefthanders.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #4 prospect in 2013
  Pederson could have played baseball at Southern California and walked on to the football team as a wide receiver, but he instead turned pro for $600,000 at the 2010 signing deadline. His father Stu played briefly for the Dodgers in 1985. Joc took off in the second half of 2012, batting .328/.410/.595 with 16 homers and 18 steals, and won the organization's minor league player of the year award. He played in the Arizona Fall League and for Israel in a World Baseball Classic qualifier after the season. Pederson swings with controlled aggression. He attacks balls yet does a good job of keeping his hands back, spraying line drives all over the field. Los Angeles wants him to improve his posture in his swing, as he tends to dip his head, but the ball jumps off his bat. He does a good job of imparting backspin, leading the Dodgers to believe his power has a chance to keep emerging as he gets older, as it did with Andre Ethier. Pederson isn't a blazer, but he has the athleticism and speed to play center field. His average arm gives him a chance to play in right field as well. His tireless work ethic and grinder mentality draw praise. Pederson will see time at all three outfield positions moving forward, given that he's unlikely to unseat Matt Kemp in center field. Pederson still has the tools to be an above-average regular, and he'll move up to Double-A Chattanooga for 2013.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #9 prospect in 2012
  A two-sport standout as an outfielder and wide receiver in high school, Pederson signed for $600,000 as an 11th-rounder. In his first full year as a pro, he looked overmatched in a brief stint in low Class A before leading the Rookie-level Pioneer League in RBIs (64) and finishing second in on-base percentage (.429) and fourth in batting (.353). His father Stu played eight games for the Dodgers in September 1985. Pederson shows lots of polish for a teenager and plays with a blue-collar mentality. He has a short, sound swing and the chance to be an above-average hitter. He's willing to use all fields, and he got better at pulling inside pitches with more authority in 2011, which should help him get to his average power potential. Pederson saw action at all three outfield positions with Ogden, though he played primarily in left and will end up on a corner in the long term. He has a solid arm with slightly above-average speed. He's an efficient basestealer with good instincts on the basepaths. Pederson will get another crack at the Midwest League in 2012. He'll need time to develop but his talent stands out among the position prospects at the lower levels of the system.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #25 prospect in 2011
  In Los Angeles' 2010 draft class, only first-rounder Zach Lee received a larger bonus than Pederson. Los Angeles gave the 11th-rounder $600,000 at the Aug. 16 deadline to steer him away from a commitment to Southern California. Pederson's father Stu was an outfielder who played briefly for the Dodgers in 1985 and had a 12-year pro career. Joc, who was also a wide receiver in high school, doesn't have any dominant tools, but he has the potential to be average across the board and certainly would have gone higher in the draft if not for his price tag. He has a physical, athletic build and the potential to add strength as he matures. His pedigree shows through in his mechanically sound lefthanded swing and all-fields approach. He has a quick bat and average raw power. He'll have to do a better job of staying back, though, because he does have a tendency to get out on his front foot. He has an average arm and is a tick above-average runner, and his instincts help his speed play up and give him a chance to be a center fielder. Pederson may be advanced enough to handle an assignment to low Class A for his first full season.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #2 prospect in 2014
  Several PCL managers said they preferred Pederson as the league's top player, even after Kris Bryant showed up in mid-June. Pederson won the league's MVP award after leading the circuit in homers and OBP while becoming the first 30-30 player in the modern history of the league. PCL managers and scouts alike said Pederson has above-average bat speed and strike-zone recognition, despite an elevated strikeout rate. They couldn't quite agree on whether his power will play as average or plus in the majors once removed from the thin air of Albuquerque, but no red flags were detected in his swing. Pederson's defense in center field received mostly positive reviews, though one evaluator said he'd fit better in left field. "He's probably the best player in the league overall," a rival PCL manager said. "He can do everything. He's a really, really good center fielder. He's aggressive on the bases. The bat speed is there. He'll play center in the majors and make it look easy."
• 
  Ranked Southern League #7 prospect in 2013
  Overshadowed by Yasiel Puig in the Chattanooga outfield and by the slew of future stars in this year?s Southern League, Pederson nevertheless received high marks from most scouts and performed as well as any player in the league. He led the SL in slugging, ranked second in home runs and runs, third in steals and on-base percentage and fifth in walks. Managers also singled him out as the best defensive outfielder and most exciting player in the league. Though Pederson lacks a carrying tool for some scouts, others credit him with solid-average to plus attributes in the departments of power, speed and range in center field. He punishes righthanders with a balanced hitting approach in which he keeps his hands back and lines the ball all over the field. A vulnerability to lefties, who limited him to a .200 mark with strikeouts 27 percent of the time, might limit Pederson?s ability to hit for average unless he?s platooned. For these reasons, the Dodgers view his overall game as similar to Andre Ethier, with the added dimension of instincts and range required to hold down center field plus the arm for right.
• 
  Ranked California League #3 prospect in 2012
  Pederson jumped from the Rookie-level Pioneer League in 2011 to Rancho Cucamonga and got stronger as the season wore on. He produced 16 homers, 18 steals and a 1.005 OPS in the second half with a swing that reminded one manager of Fred Lynn's. Pederson keeps his hands back and does a good job of putting backspin on the ball, helping his fringy raw power play up. The son of former big leaguer Stu Pederson, Joc impressed managers with his polished approach despite his youth and his grinder mentality. He can turn on inside fastballs or shoot line drives into either gap. As Wooten put it, "He just looks like a hitter." While Pederson has decent speed and isn't a burner, he's an effective center fielder thanks to his instincts. He has the arm strength to play on a corner, though he had a harder time tracking balls and taking proper angles when he played left field at Rancho Cucamonga. He also can improve his reads and jumps when stealing bases.
• 
  Ranked Pioneer League #3 prospect in 2011
  The son of cup-of-coffee big leaguer Stu Pederson, Joc led the Pioneer League with 64 RBIs and ranked in the top five in several offensive categories in his first extended taste of pro ball. A 13-pitch, left-on-left showdown with Orem's Nick Maronde, the league's top pitching prospect, convinced Owlz manager Tom Kotchman of Pederson's potential. "He can hit," Kotchman said. "The bat plays because he has a good approach and strong bat speed. He sure plays a lot older than 19." Pederson drew comparisons ranging from Gerardo Parra to Brian Giles for his potential as a corner outfielder with a short stroke, feel for hitting and discerning batting eye. He improved steadily, batting .390 with seven homers in August after he made adjustments to start pulling inside pitches. Some evaluators felt that Pederson, a football standout in high school, offered little physical projection, prompting them to hedge on his future power potential--though 15-20 homers annually seem possible. He runs well enough to steal bases efficiently but not enough to handle center field every day, while his solid-average arm strength suggests he could handle either corner.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #8 prospect in 2015
• Ranked Baseball America's #34 prospect in 2014

• December, 2014 Scouting Report
  In most organizations, Pederson would have been up by the 2014 all-star break, but a congested outfield in Los Angeles kept Pederson in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, where he won the MVP award, until he made his major league debut as a September callup. Pederson took advantage of Albuquerque's extremely hitter-friendly conditions, blasting 33 homers, stealing 30 bases and leading the PCL in walks (100) and on-base percentage (.435). He also hit .274/.385/.523 in 63 road games and showed all the attributes that should allow his success to translate to the majors. Pederson is about as well-rounded as prospects come, showing five average to plus tools. He has good balance, keeps his weight back and explodes through the zone with good bat speed, a sound stroke and plus raw power. He's an aggressive hitter with some movement in the box, and while his strikeout rate jumped from 22 percent at Double-A Chattanooga in 2013 to 27 percent in 2014, he's also a patient hitter who understands the strike zone and should draw plenty of walks. He's a slightly above-average runner with an aggressive mindset on the basepaths, making him a threat to steal 20 bases. His reads and routes off the bat in center field improved, making him an average defender for the position with an above-average arm, albeit with inconsistent accuracy. Once the Dodgers sort through their outfield logjam, Pederson should emerge as the center fielder in Los Angeles. He has a chance to become an above-average player immediately, with future star potential.
• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: Pederson could have played baseball at Southern California and walked on to the football team as a wide receiver, but he instead turned pro for $600,000 at the 2010 signing deadline. His father Stu played briefly for the Dodgers in 1985. Joc took off in the second half of 2012, batting .328/.410/.595 with 16 homers and 18 steals, and won the organization's minor league player of the year award. He played in the Arizona Fall League and for Israel in a World Baseball Classic qualifier after the season. Scouting Report: Pederson swings with controlled aggression. He attacks balls yet does a good job of keeping his hands back, spraying line drives all over the field. Los Angeles wants to improve his posture when he swings, as he tends to dip his head, but the ball jumps off his bat. He does a good job of imparting backspin, leading the Dodgers to believe his power has a chance to keep emerging as he ages, as it did with Andre Ethier. Pederson isn't a blazer, but he has the athleticism and speed to play center field. His average arm gives him a chance to play in right field as well. His tireless work ethic and grinder mentality draw praise. The Future: Pederson will see time at all three outfield positions moving forward, given that he's unlikely to unseat Matt Kemp in center field. Pederson still has the tools to be an above-average regular, and he'll move up to Double-A Chattanooga for 2013.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: A two-sport standout as an outfielder and wide receiver in high school, Pederson signed for $600,000 as an 11th-rounder. In his first full year as a pro, he looked overmatched in a brief stint in low Class A before leading the Rookie-level Pioneer League in RBIs (64) and finishing second in on-base percentage (.429) and fourth in batting (.353). His father Stu played eight games for the Dodgers in September 1985. Scouting Report: Pederson shows lots of polish for a teenager and plays with a blue-collar mentality. He has a short, sound swing and the chance to be an above-average hitter. He's willing to use all fields, and he got better at pulling inside pitches with more authority in 2011, which should help him get to his average power potential. Pederson saw action at all three outfield positions with Ogden, though he played primarily in left and will end up on a corner in the long term. He has a solid arm with slightly above-average speed. He's an efficient basestealer with good instincts on the basepaths. The Future: Pederson will get another crack at the Midwest League in 2012. He'll need time to develop but his talent stands out among the position prospects at the lower levels of the system.