Joc Pederson DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Texas Rangers outfielder Joc Pederson (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Athletics. Unsurprisingly, Pederson will get the night off against a left-handed starting pitcher as he has historically struggled against southpaws. His absence will mean Jonah Heim takes over as the designated hitter while Kyle Higashioka will be behind the plate against left-hander JP Sears. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups ahead of first pitch.

Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson (illness) has returned from the flu in spring training camp, according to the Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant. Pederson missed a few days in spring training while being under the weather, but he's feeling better now and has rejoined the team for workouts in Arizona. The 32-year-old veteran left-handed slugger had a bounce-back season in 2024 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, slashing .275/.393/.515 with a .908 OPS, 23 long balls, 64 RBI, seven stolen bases and 62 runs scored in 367 at-bats. Pederson proved he can still be successful at the plate, mostly with his power, but there are clear drawbacks for fantasy managers. The primary one is that he almost never faces lefties -- he has a career .630 OPS against them -- and has become a full-time DH at this point in his career. That's unlikely to change with the move to Texas.

The Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant reports that Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson (illness) is dealing with the flu at spring training. Pederson might miss a few days of workouts at camp this week, but the 32-year-old veteran lefty swinger should be back on the field later this week. The former 11th-round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010 hit .275/.393/.515 with a career-best .908 OPS, 23 home runs, 64 RBI, a career-high seven stolen bases and 62 runs scored in 132 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks last year. At this point in his career, Pederson is basically a full-time DH and only starts against right-handed pitchers. He had a .534 slugging percentage and .923 OPS against right-handers in Arizona. In comparison, he has a .630 career OPS against lefties. Pederson's fantasy value takes a hit because he's limited to DH eligibility.

According to Justin Tasch of the New York Post, the New York Mets had interest in designated hitter Joc Pederson before he signed a two-year contract with the Texas Rangers. Last summer, Pederson performed very well being deployed on the strong side of a platoon with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Pederson posted a .275/.393/.515 slash line with 23 home runs. He generated a strong .378 xwOBA and a 12.8% barrel rate, which were both among the top marks of qualified hitters. He also showed a great eye at the plate with a 12.2% walk rate and a slightly below-average 23.4% K rate. While the Mets could not get a deal done, this suggests that they are still actively looking for a power bat to operate as their designated hitter. Currently, Starling Marte or Jeff McNeil would be the team's DH, but that will likely change by Spring Training. If the Mets do target a power bat, he would have high RBI upside batting behind Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, outfielder/designated hitter Joc Pederson and the Texas Rangers have agreed on a contract, pending a physical. Despite only playing in a strict platoon role in Arizona last summer, Pederson was very effective, posting a strong .275/.393/.515 slash line with 17 doubles, 23 home runs, 64 RBI, and four stolen bases. He hit for a .291 average across 41 plate appearances when facing southpaws. The 32-year-old hit the ball very hard at an impressive 46.2% hard-hit rate and 12.8% barrel rate, which placed him in the 79th and 87th percentiles, respectively. He also generated a .480 xSLG and a .378 xwOBA, which were among the top marks of qualified hitters. Fantasy managers should expect Pederson to have a similar role with Texas, as he will likely operate as the starting designated hitter against right-handed pitching.