Dodgers: Joc Pederson’s Championship ‘Swag’ Turned the Braves Season Around

Joc Pederson has always been a confident player. As a member of the  Dodgers, Pederson’s upbeat attitude and passion for the game was infectious. He was also a key factor in the Dodgers 2020 World Series championship.

Pederson brought that self-assurance to the Atlanta Braves and it turned their season around.

On an episode of AM570’s Dodger Talk, Atlanta third base coach Eric Young had this to say when asked if the “swag” that Pederson brought to the Braves transformed their clubhouse.

“Absolutely. At the time when we got him, we were a .500 team. We were treading water. We could’ve gone in either direction. He came in and brought that swag, brought that confidence, that ‘this is what the other teams think of you guys’ and last year what the Dodgers thought of us.”

Atlanta was 44-45 when they acquired Pederson from the Chicago Cubs on July 15th. They had also lost the NLCS to Pederson’s Dodgers the season before after holding a 3-1 series lead.

Young also recalled Pederson’s explanation for starting to wear a pearl necklace in games.

“He brought that swag in. When he brought the pearls out, we were all wondering where the pearls came from. He said well hold up, ‘they got the gold chains so I might as wear the pearls, something a little different.’ Then he came with the blonde hair. He brought more character to a bunch of a guys thinking more about the season and how we weren’t having success.”

Pederson is a one-of-a-kind personality who has now endeared himself to not one, but two fan bases in his eight-year career.

Helping teams win championships and having fun along the way is easy to appreciate.

Pederson is once again a free agent.

Whichever team signs him will get his bat, his glove, and his championship swag. 

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