Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson (4) singles against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning at Globe Life Field. Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images

Rangers Must Hope Joc Pederson Rebounds After Exercising Option

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI
By Matt Postins | Last updated Nov 6, 2025 12:00 PM ET

There was little chance the Texas Rangers were going to catch a break when it came to designated hitter Joc Pederson and his contract.

The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that Pederson triggered the 2026 option on the two-year contract he signed last offseason. The two-year, $37 million deal came with a player option that will pay Pederson $18.5 million. After the worst season of his career, there was little chance the 33-year-old was going to test free agency.

Texas may have been hoping he would do them a solid and opt out, which would have given the Rangers a chance to void the opt-out by triggering their option, which was for two more years and $39 million. Given the Rangers’ desire to trim payroll, that was unlikely to happen.

But now Texas is pinning part of its hopes for an offensive resurgence on the bounce-back of the left-handed slugger.

Can Joc Pederson Bounce Back in 2026?

The Rangers signed Pederson as a left-handed matchup against right-handed pitching. The expectation was that he would play designated hitter most games against right-handers. Instead, he had an epic slump out of the gate and missed three months with an injury.

Pederson slashed .181/.285/.328 with nine home runs and 26 RBI in 96 games. It was the worst full season of his career. It was unexpected after a brilliant 2024 with Arizona in which he slashed .275/.393/.515 with 23 home runs and 64 RBI.

Little went right for Pederson, who didn’t hit a home run until May 10 in Detroit. Two weeks after that he suffered a fracture in his right hand that kept him out until July.

When he returned his numbers did pick up. At the time of his injury, he was slashing .131/.269/.238. After his return on July 27, he slashed .224/.300/.406 with seven home runs and 20 RBI. He offered Texas something in the final weeks of the season. That’s encouraging.

So is what he did after his last sub-.200 season at the plate, albeit that came in the 2020 COVID season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He slashed .190/.285/.397 with seven home runs and 16 RBI in 43 games. In 2021 he slashed .238/.310/.422 with 18 home runs and 61 RBI in a season that started with the Chicago Cubs and ended with the Atlanta Braves.

Texas could still attempt to trade Pederson, though the market may be non-existent after last season. Instead, the Rangers will have to pin their hopes in part on who they hire to be their hitting coach and whether he can get Pederson going in the right direction under first-year manager Skip Schumaker.

This article first appeared on Texas Rangers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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