On June 29, 2015, Joc Pederson carved out a rare spot in baseball history during the Dodgers’ 10-6 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
Pederson’s fourth-inning homer off Diamondbacks starter Allen Webster was his 20th of the season, making him the third rookie in MLB history to reach that mark before July. The blast went 461 feet, and it put him in company with only Wally Berger of the Boston Braves and Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals.
That wasn’t even the longest homer Pederson would hit that year. Earlier in the season, he launched a 477-foot shot against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, which still stands as the longest home run ever hit by a Dodger in the Statcast Era, edging Shohei Ohtani’s 476-foot homer on June, 18 2024. Pederson also went deep for a 472-foot homer in the second game of a double-header against the Rockies that same day, a drive that remains the Dodgers’ fifth-longest in the Statcast Era.
Pederson’s power numbers left a big imprint on the franchise record book. Of the 10 longest home runs by Dodgers in the Statcast Era, he appears twice, along with Ohtani and Max Muncy. His 461-foot homer against Arizona missed the top 10 by just three feet.
The Dodgers drafted Pederson in the 11th round in 2010, and he was committed to USC before choosing to turn pro. He signed for a $600,000 bonus, the second-highest bonus the Dodgers gave any player they signed that year and a hefty sum for a pick that late in the draft.
He reached the majors in 2014 as a September call-up and played 18 games that season. In 2015, he broke camp with the big league club and appeared in 151 games, which remains the most he has played for any team in his career.
Before that rookie season began, Baseball America ranked him No. 8 overall and MLB Pipeline had him at No. 13.
Pederson earned his first All-Star nod during that rookie year, but the second half told a different story. His production dropped off sharply, especially with the home run ball. He finished at .210/.346/.417 with 19 doubles and 54 RBI, and after getting to 20 homers through the Dodgers’ first 78 games, he managed only six more the rest of the season.
By 2019, Pederson was part of another power-heavy Dodgers lineup. He helped Los Angeles become just the fifth team in MLB history with three players hitting at least 20 home runs before July 1, joining Muncy and Cody Bellinger. That Dodgers club was the first to do it since the 2003 Atlanta Braves, who were powered by Andruw Jones, Javy Lopez and Gary Sheffield.
In Other News...
Dodgers Suddenly Have A New Dalton Rushing Concern Against Padres
Dalton Rushing gave the Dodgers a boost in a 15-3 win over the Padres, going deep as part of a night that reinforced why the club has liked his bat. Even with the home run, though, the at-bat drew attention for reasons that had nothing to do with power, as the rookie looked uncomfortable enough for the Dodgers to take a closer look.
Dave Roberts and the team trainer eventually came out to check on him, and Rushing did not seem to want the interruption. He repeatedly waved them off and showed plenty of irritation in the moment, which leaves the Dodgers with at least a little concern heading out of a game that otherwise felt lopsided in their favor. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Make Another Statement Against Padres In Rivalry Win
The weekend finale between the Dodgers and Padres had the familiar edge of a division rivalry, and Los Angeles came away with another useful reminder of why these games still matter. A 4-2 win in San Diego gave the Dodgers the series edge for the season, with Emmet Sheehan working effectively on the mound and Mookie Betts providing the kind of multi-hit, run-producing night that keeps the offense moving in tight games.
Edgardo Henriquez finished it off with his first save of the season, a small but notable step in a bullpen role that can change quickly in a long summer. The Dodgers also had to keep surviving late pressure as the Padres kept finding ways to put runners in position to turn the game, which only added to the sense that this was less a tidy win than another hard-earned statement in a rivalry that rarely stays quiet for long. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Have One Lingering Pitching Question Fans Can't Ignore
The Dodgers are wrapping up a nine-game road trip in Sacramento with a three-game set against the Athletics, and the trip already has the feel of one that has done plenty to steady the club. They have clinched a winning road swing and keep sitting comfortably atop the NL West, so the focus is less on survival and more on fine-tuning the rotation as the schedule keeps moving.
Monday brings another look at the depth that has carried them through stretches of the season, with Lauer on the mound after six hitless innings in his last outing and a strong run since joining the Dodgers after being designated for assignment by Toronto. The middle game pairs Justin Wrobleski with Jeffrey Springs, who has been giving up too many home runs, and then Wednesday offers the part of the series that will draw the most attention as Shohei Ohtani is set to pitch while trying to bounce back from a rough stretch. [Read more 🡒]