As is normally the case, the Los Angeles Dodgers were well-represented on MLB Network’s annual top 10 lists by position. Coming off a career season, Joc Pederson was ranked the No. 7 left fielder in baseball going into 2020 by The Shredder.
Coming in at No. 1 on the list this year was Juan Soto of the World Series champion Washington Nationals, followed by Michael Brantley, Bryan Reynolds, Tommy Pham, Mark Canha and Austin Meadows. Kyle Schwarber, David Peralta and Giancarlo Stanton then round out the top 10 after Pederson.
Pederson ranked even higher on the lists of MLB Network analysts, as Sarah Langs had him fifth and Ben Lindbergh had him sixth. Mike Petriello was the only one to leave Pederson off the list completely, mentioning that he viewed him similar to Schwarber as a platoon player, but ultimately keeping him outside his top 10.
Going into 2019, Pederson just missed The Shredder’s top 10. In 149 games last season, he batted .249/.339/.538 with career-highs in home runs (36), runs scored (83) and RBI (74) to work his way back onto the list.
Pederson ranked seventh among all MLB left fielders in WAR in 2019 at 3.3, while ranking third in slugging percentage. The Shredder takes the last two seasons into account when forming its list though, and across those two years, Pederson is third in slugging percentage (.530), sixth in WRC+ (127), third in DRS (11) and tied for sixth in WAR (5.6).
While Pederson is expected to have another solid season in 2020, it may not come entirely with the Dodgers. He reportedly was traded to the L.A. Angels along with Ross Stripling for a trio of prospects.
However, the deal was never finalized due to the Dodgers having to rework what was a three-team trade with the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins into separate transactions.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is pleased to have Pederson still part of the roster, and the 27-year-old admitted to some awkwardness but did his best to put the situation behind him. Though, Pederson’s spring was marred by a hip injury that prevented him from appearing in a Cactus League game before MLB was required to halt operations.
Platoon system
Like in previous seasons, Pederson again is part of a platoon. Roberts envisions him sharing time with AJ Pollock in left field and as a designated hitter.
| Rank | The Shredder | Mike Petriello | Sarah Langs | Ben Lindbergh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juan Soto (Nationals) | Juan Soto (Nationals) | Juan Soto (Nationals) | Juan Soto (Nationals) |
| 2 | Michael Brantley (Astros) | Michael Brantley (Astros) | Tommy Pham (Rays) | Michael Brantley (Astros) |
| 3 | Bryan Reynolds (Pirates) | Austin Meadows (Rays) | Michael Brantley (Astros) | Giancarlo Stanton (Yankees) |
| 4 | Tommy Pham (Rays) | Eloy Jiménez (White Sox) | Giancarlo Stanton (Yankees) | Tommy Pham (Rays) |
| 5 | Mark Canha (Athletics) | Tommy Pham (Rays) | Joc Pederson (Dodgers) | Austin Meadows (Rays) |
| 6 | Austin Meadows (Rays) | Bryan Reynolds (Pirates) | Kyle Schwarber (Cubs) | Joc Pederson (Dodgers) |
| 7 | Joc Pederson (Dodgers) | Marcell Ozuna (Braves) | Marcell Ozuna (Braves) | Marcell Ozuna (Braves) |
| 8 | Kyle Schwarber (Cubs) | Mark Canha (Athletics) | Eloy Jiménez (White Sox) | Eloy Jiménez (White Sox) |
| 9 | David Peralta (Diamondbacks) | Kyle Schwarber (Cubs) | Austin Meadows (Rays) | Mark Canha (Athletics) |
| 10 | Giancarlo Stanton (Yankees) | Giancarlo Stanton (Yankees) | Bryan Reynolds (Pirates) | Kyle Schwarber (Cubs) |
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