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Joc Pederson 2023 MLB Player Outlook: Elite Power Maximized in Platoon
2 years agoThe San Francisco Giants offered outfielder Joc Pederson a qualifying offer this winter because the team felt his power was worth the salary. Pederson posted a 93.2 average exit velocity and 52.1% hard-hit rate in 2022, both rating in the top 2% in MLB. He also ranked among the top 5% in the league in expected slugging and wOBA. The Giants utilize platoons frequently, and with a career .215+ OPS split in his results against righties and versus lefties, this definitely helps Pederson. San Francisco signed outfielders Michael Conforto and Mitch Haniger this offseason, which should push Pederson into a platoon role at DH this season. This could allow his bat to play up even further as injuries have crept in when playing defense over the last few years for Pederson, who once was a quality defender before injuries slowed his abilities in the field. Fantasy managers will want to be aware that he will sit against left-handed pitchers and watch schedules in weekly leagues, but with an early ADP in the 230 range, he could return 20-30 home runs for a reasonably low cost.
