Joc Pederson... That is all.

[Ranma]

I've been saying it since coming back from the spring straining, but i really do believe Joc will be a star in this league and before the season is over, he will hit much earlier in the lineup, possibly in the 2/3/4/5 area. knowing who we have for 2-3-4, it is probably the 5 hole.

Eric Stephen, TrueBlueLA.com (4/29/15)

Only 19 games into the season, and the Dodgers have moved Joc Pederson into the leadoff spot in the series finale against the Giants.

The move is logical on its face, as Pederson has the best on-base percentage on the team at .458. Not that it's reasonable to expect that high of an OBP from Pederson going forward, though getting on base is one of his best skills. He leads the team in both walks (16) and walk rate (21.9%), and even if removing his three intentional walks is still the best in blue at drawing a free pass.

Joc Pederson Leading Off as Dodgers Shuffle Lineup vs. Giants

[Neddy]

I've been saying it since coming back from the spring straining, but i really do believe Joc will be a star in this league and before the season is over, he will hit much earlier in the lineup, possibly in the 2/3/4/5 area. knowing who we have for 2-3-4, it is probably the 5 hole.

Eric Stephen, TrueBlueLA.com (4/29/15)

Only 19 games into the season, and the Dodgers have moved Joc Pederson into the leadoff spot in the series finale against the Giants.

The move is logical on its face, as Pederson has the best on-base percentage on the team at .458. Not that it's reasonable to expect that high of an OBP from Pederson going forward, though getting on base is one of his best skills. He leads the team in both walks (16) and walk rate (21.9%), and even if removing his three intentional walks is still the best in blue at drawing a free pass.

Joc Pederson Leading Off as Dodgers Shuffle Lineup vs. Giants

great news!!!! as much as I loathed Jimmy Rollins in the leadoff role, I didn't think they would give up on him this fast. the stubbornness of Donny and the Co. is the reason why i didn't even bother to list the leadoff spot as an option for Joc, but this is great!

now, leading off, I do expect Joc's OBP to drop a little. but on the flip side, if Rollins is the one going to the 8th hole, this will greatly improve his OBP and having speed on base with a pitcher in the batter box is not a bad thing at all.

[Neddy]

OH GOD after moving Joc to lead off (the right move) they moved our worst hitting batsman into the most important role of batting #2? we went from Puig to Ethier to Rollins?

BTW Joc and Gonzo goes deep and we take over, but we cannot have Rollins batting #2 and expect to be as successful as with ANYOTHER OPTION THERE than Jimmy. the days of #2 batsman being a guy with bat control to move runners are so 19th and 20th century. Rollins is right now a .175 hitter and last five years in phili a mediocre hitter average wise, OBP wise, and SLG % wise.

meanwhile, Andre goes the yard. 4-1 dodgers!

[Ranma]

great news!!!! as much as I loathed Jimmy Rollins in the leadoff role, I didn't think they would give up on him this fast. the stubbornness of Donny and the Co. is the reason why i didn't even bother to list the leadoff spot as an option for Joc, but this is great!

now, leading off, I do expect Joc's OBP to drop a little. but on the flip side, if Rollins is the one going to the 8th hole, this will greatly improve his OBP and having speed on base with a pitcher in the batter box is not a bad thing at all.

Rollins is actually batting second in the order for now but I like your idea of him at the 8th spot better.

Pederson hits a HR to tie the game off the second pitch in his debut as the Dodgers' leadoff hitter.

Then Adrian Gonzalez hits his 8th homer of the season to put the team up by 1 run.

And if that isn't enough, Andre Ethier hits his 3rd dinger to put the boys in blue up by 3 runs.

All in the 1st inning.

[Neddy]

great news!!!! as much as I loathed Jimmy Rollins in the leadoff role, I didn't think they would give up on him this fast. the stubbornness of Donny and the Co. is the reason why i didn't even bother to list the leadoff spot as an option for Joc, but this is great!

now, leading off, I do expect Joc's OBP to drop a little. but on the flip side, if Rollins is the one going to the 8th hole, this will greatly improve his OBP and having speed on base with a pitcher in the batter box is not a bad thing at all.

Rollins is actually batting second in the order for now but I like your idea of him at the 8th spot better.

Pederson hits a HR to tie the game off the second pitch in his debut as the Dodgers' leadoff hitter.

Then Adrian Gonzalez hits his 8th homer of the season to put the team up by 1 run.

And if that isn't enough, Andre Ethier hits his 3rd dinger to put the boys in blue up by 3 runs.

All in the 1st inning.

our resident 7 and 8th hole guys should be Grandal and Rollins. if AJ is hitting flip that order. they both have some pop, but hitting for average? forget it.

[Ranma]

And to think that Joc Pederson is arguably the 3rd best prospect in the Dodgers' system. Man, if that turns out to be true, Corey Seager and Julio Urias should be star major leaguers.

[Neddy]

And to think that Joc Pederson is arguably the 3rd best prospect in the Dodgers' system. Man, if that turns out to be true, Corey Seager and Julio Urias should be star major leaguers.

the ceiling maybe higher on the other two, but Joc was by far the most surest prospect among them. obviously,the highest ceiling prospect is Urias. but Seager comes with the size, position, and pedigree.

we do have some exciting future ahead of us, and glad we finally canned Ned Colletti to ensure we don't fumble it away like Doc's trades.

[Ranma]

Jonah Keri, Grantland (5/6/15)

...Pederson has emerged as one of the best all-around players in the league through four-plus weeks. We see it with his glove: He’s saved two more runs than the average center fielder and helped the Dodgers to the fourth-best team defensive rating in the NL per BIS:

And we see it even more clearly with his bat: Pederson has been one of the best hitters in the majors, ranking among the league leaders in on-base percentage and slugging with a .260/.420/.597 line. He’s tearing the cover off the ball too. According to Baseball Savant, Pederson, with an exit velocity off the bat better than 97 mph, is hitting the ball harder than any other player in the major leagues.

What’s more, Pederson has become a master of the three true outcomes, so named because a walk, a home run, or a strikeout are the only plays in a baseball game unaffected by the players in the field.
...

Still, why push such a whiff-happy slugger to the leadoff spot? Pederson has also been a walks machine; in his first 101 times up, he’s walked 21 times. Only Bryce Harper and Carlos Santana have walked more frequently, and both Harper and Pederson are on pace in this young season to top Frank Thomas for the highest walk rate of any 23-or-younger batter since 1950.
...

For now, the Dodgers have one of the most unorthodox — yet effective — leadoff men in the majors. And wherever he ends up in the order, it also looks like they’ll have one of the most electric players in the league for years to come. Following in the footsteps of Sandy Koufax and Shawn Green, Pederson is a deserving piece in the lineage of great Dodger boychicks. And for a veteran-laden team that sorely needed an injection of power and defense, he’s been a breath of fresh air.

Joc Rocks: In Praise of the Dodgers’ Phenomenal Rookie Center Fielder

[Ranma]

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