ARLINGTON -- It’s really official once you’re added to the team group chat, Joc Pederson joked.
Pederson, the newest Texas Ranger, was officially introduced at Globe Life Field on Monday afternoon, but in the days prior he had been added to the team group chat after talking with Marcus Semien. That’s the first step for both Pederson and the Rangers to get back to the World Series.
“Everyone's hungry to get back,” Pederson said. “I think being a part of a World Series team, there's a satisfaction that you accomplish the goal. Sometimes it's hard to come back. Some teams start off a little slower and can bounce back. Some teams don't bounce back. This team is ready. We're ready to go and get back in the playoffs. Special things happen in the playoffs. This team has proved that they're all capable of doing it, and we're just adding more pieces to the puzzle.”
Pederson said that on top of joining a top-notch organization, it’s going to be fun for him to reunite with shortstop Corey Seager. The two were teammates from 2015-20 with the Dodgers and won the 2020 Fall Classic at Globe Life Field, when Seager was named NLCS and World Series MVP.
Pederson said Seager is a “winning ballplayer” that you build around. He sees himself as just another piece of the 26-man roster that is pulling on the same rope together.
“If we get to the World Series again, [Seager would] probably be MVP, and we'll all be happy,” Pederson said. “I'm just really excited about it. It's gonna be great. … You talk to a lot of teams, they all want to win the World Series and do stuff like that. All we gotta do is get to the playoffs. You let [manager Bruce Bochy] do what Boch does in the playoffs. Then you add in a little sprinkle of Seager, next thing you know, we’re all walking around with more rings.”
The Rangers failed to get back to the postseason last year after winning the first World Series in franchise history in 2023. All offseason has been about restructuring the roster to make another run at a championship.
Pederson is a perfect complement to a Rangers lineup that lacked slug in 2024, especially from the left side.
With the D-backs in 2024, Pederson set career highs in batting average (.275), on-base percentage (.393) and OPS (.908). His 12.2 percent walk rate ranked in the 94th percentile among qualified hitters, and he was also in the 90th percentile in xwOBA (.378, 95th percentile), expected slugging (.480, 90th percentile) and average exit velocity (92.3 mph, 93rd percentile).
Pederson played with the Giants for two seasons prior, including an All-Star campaign in 2022, when he produced a .274/.353/.521 slash line with 23 homers in 433 plate appearances. He was also an All-Star during his rookie season in 2015 with Los Angeles.
“I think it's a great fit,” Pederson said. “A lot of our goals align. [President of baseball operations Chris Young] and the Rangers obviously won a World Series in ’23 and they're not satisfied. They want to continue to win, and I want to be in a place that wants to win. They're making moves all around to show that and make strides in that direction to win and get back to the playoffs. It's an unbelievable lineup. I think I fit in really well.”
Production aside, Young noted that the personality and the off-the-field leadership is just as important for the club this season.
Pederson is a two-time World Series champion with the Dodgers and Braves. But he also notes that he’s been benched before. He’s been sent down before. For a period of time, he was the worst player in the big leagues. He learned and grew from all of it.
Now, Pederson brings another element of leadership and experience to the Rangers’ clubhouse that can only elevate the level of play going into 2025.
“We had a great group last year and we had a great group in 2023,” Young said. “There were a number of things that didn't go our way, but I think it's not about what we were missing, it's what we're adding. That's what excites me most about signing Joc.
“There really have been multiple things he said that have given me chills in terms of just how he sees the game and how he adds to the environment, which, as you know, is critically important. … He's proven that over the course of his career, and our hope is that he continues to add to our environment, enhance it.”