(670 The Score) Like many of his teammates, new Cubs outfielder Joc Pederson has had a rough start at the plate early this season.
Pederson is hitting .149 with one homer, four RBIs and a .536 OPS in 15 games for a Cubs team that ranks last in MLB in batting average and third-to-last in runs per game.
"This is a tough game and eventually you come out it,” Pederson said Tuesday before the Cubs hosted the Mets. “I am not too worried about not coming out of it. I know I am a really good baseball player. So I am not going to let 30 at-bats – as much as it makes you feel like you never have picked up a bat – dictate how I feel about myself as a player.”
The Cubs signed Pederson, who turns 29 on Wednesday, to a one-year deal in the offseason after he played for the Dodgers for his first seven MLB seasons. He was the talk of the Cactus League this spring as he led it with eight homers.
The task has been tougher after coming north and starting the regular season – for both Pederson and the entire team.
"Hitting is contagious, and you never feel better if your teammates are struggling,” Pederson said. “I know it's been hard to watch the first two weeks and it's a lot harder for us trying to perform out there – not performing, I should say. It's been frustrating for sure.
“It's been a little bit of everything. When you are hitting good, the game seems really easy. When you are not, it feels really hard. The peaks and valleys of baseball are really crazy. That is just a part of the game. I am feeling really good lately, so I will build on that. I look at it daily to try to win some pitches and take it from there.”
Pederson has had rough stretches before, including when the Dodgers sent him down to Triple-A during the 2017 regular season. He responded with a big playoff performance that year as the Dodgers fell to the Astros in the World Series. Pederson also struggled in the shortened 2020 season, hitting .190 with a .681 OPS.
Pederson went 2-of-3 with a walk in the Cubs’ loss to the Braves on Sunday, which marked his first multi-hit game with Chicago. He believes it’s a sign of what’s to come. He wants to regain his strong form of 2019, when he had 36 homers and an .876 OPS.
“This is a tough game and you come out of it,” Pederson said. “There is that light at the end of the tunnel and you know you will come out of it.”
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.