Rangers urged not to panic over slugger’s rough spring
Joc Pederson’s slow spring has raised concerns, but the Rangers believe his track record points to a potential bounce-back season.
Rangers urged not to panic over slugger’s rough spring originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Texas Rangers are getting a familiar version of Joc Pederson this spring—and if history is any guide, that may not be a bad thing.
Pederson has struggled to produce in the final week of spring training, with a . 486 OPS in exhibition games. On the surface, it appears to be a continuation of his already disappointing 2025 season , which called his long-term role in Texas into question.
However, according to Evan Grant from the Dallas Morning News , this is where things usually go wrong for Pederson. If you look at Pederson's career trends, his production has rarely matched his spring training numbers—and in many cases, it has been the opposite. In 2024 , he had a 1.
018 OPS in spring training, but struggled out of the gate and didn't hit his first regular-season homer until May. What happened the year before? After a poor spring, he had one of his best seasons yet.