Chicago Cubs: 3 bold predictions for the 2021 season

3. Joc Pederson will hit better against left-handed pitchers, cementing himself as an everyday player

The Chicago Cubs had a relatively quiet offseason, largely seeing key contributors from seasons past depart in free agency. If there was one move that excited the fan base the most, it was the signing of the team’s new starting left fielder, Joc Pederson.

After winning a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020, Pederson found his way to Wrigleyville signing a one-year, $7 million deal with the Cubs that includes a mutual $10 option for the 2022 season.

According to Pederson, the biggest factor in his free agency decision wasn’t money, it was playing time.

After signing his contract, Pederson penned a piece for The Player’s Tribune detailing his decision to sign with the Cubs. In the article, Pederson tells of a conversation with Manager David Ross that gives a look into how the team views Pederson’s role with the club:

"He told me about what I could expect my role to be. He was like, “You’re going to be our guy in left field, save for the occasional rest day, same as anyone. But if we’re at the All-Star break and you’re hitting a buck fifty, you know….. we’re going to reassess. We’ll probably have to make a change.”"

The Cubs are clearly committed to the idea of Pederson being their everyday left fielder, and it’ll be an interesting experiment.

Over the course of his seven years in the big leagues, Pederson’s slash line versus left-handed pitching was a dismal .199/.266/.310. Not only did he fare poorly against same-handed pitchers, but the Dodgers also had an over-abundance of top-tier hitting talent. With both of those factors in consideration, it was a no-brainer for them to platoon Pederson against lefties.

While the track record doesn’t inspire much confidence, the Cubs seem pretty willing to at least give Pederson a shot to prove himself at the start of the season, and that may be because the Dodgers never really did. Pederson hasn’t been given more than 60 plate appearances versus left-handed pitching since 2016, and it’s pretty hard to get better at something you’re never given an opportunity to do.

Pederson sounds like a player with something to prove, and his impressive Spring Training performance sure looks like he’s playing with a chip on his shoulder. He has the ambition to prove himself as an everyday MLB player, and now the Cubs are giving him the opportunity.