Rangers Free Agent Signing Joc Pederson Has Been Massive Disappointment So Far

Will Joc Pederson be able to turn things around for the Texas Rangers?

May 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson (4) hits a single during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Globe Life Field. | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Despite the season having some ups and downs early on for the Texas Rangers, the team has been able to weather injuries that have popped up to perform well.

After an extremely disappointing year in 2024, the Rangers had hopes of proving that they could still be a World Series contender in 2025.

So far, there have been some positive glimpses that they might be able to accomplish this, but there have also been some concerns.

Injuries continue to be a problem for the team, but they haven’t crippled them like what happened in 2024. This campaign, Texas has proven to have some quality depth, especially in the rotation.

However, while the rotation has held up its end of the bargain, the lineup for the Rangers has been really poor. Even though they made a couple of additions that figured to provide some needed power for the unit this past winter, those moves haven’t worked out quite yet.

Which Offseason Move Hasn’t Panned Out?

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the biggest regret for the Texas being their decision to sign Joc Pederson.

“Ten different players made at least six starts at designated hitter for the Rangers last season, none of whom did it more than 25 times. It's little wonder they went searching for a more permanent DH solution this offseason, giving Joc Pederson a two-year, $37M deal.”

With slugging being an issue for the team last year, the addition of Pederson made a ton of sense for Texas and looked like a great move on paper. While that might still be the case, the results so far haven’t been good.

This campaign, he has slashed .127/.259/.237 with two home runs and six RBI. Compared to last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, these numbers are alarming poor, and Pederson has been a major reason for the struggles of the offense.

The 33-year-old mashed right-handed pitchers especially well in 2024, but his overall numbers were very strong. He slashed .275/.393/.515 with 23 home runs and 64 RBI, so the Rangers would love to see him get to that level.

Even though Pederson has been a massive disappointment, he’s not the only player on offense underperforming.

For Texas, they will be hoping that the lineup can turn things around sooner rather than later. This is a team that can certainly contend in the AL when healthy, but they need players like Pederson to be better.

After he's been able to hit a couple home runs recently, things are starting to turn around for the slugger. However, there is still a long way to go before he can be called productive.