Plenty of questions awaited Pederson going into 2016, as the young outfielder had walked and homered his way into the 2015 All-Star Game, then struggled mightily in the second half. He acquitted himself well during his 2016 campaign, improving his contact rate from 66.7 percent to 75 percent. The latter figure is still below league average, but the Dodgers will certainly take it when bundled with Pederson's raw power. The improved contact led to fewer walks, but the extra hits made the change a net positive to his on-base percentage, along with improvements to batting average and slugging percentage. The Dodgers limited his exposure to lefties, as 399 of his 476 plate appearances came against right-handers. They could continue to do so in 2017, by platooning him with Trayce Thompson or Enrique Hernandez. Still, Pederson's power still gives him significant value, especially in leagues that use OBP in place of batting average.

A strong spring training both at the plate and in the field elevated Pederson to be the team's Opening Day center fielder, and he quickly rewarded the organization's confidence. Pederson hit .230/.364/.487 with 20 home runs before making the NL All-Star team and battling Todd Frazier in the Home Run Derby finals. From there Pederson hit just .178/.317/.300 with six homers after the break, ultimately losing playing time to Enrique Hernandez late in the season. Pederson has earned some Adam Dunn comparisons for his power as well as his propensity to take a walk (15.7-percent BB rate) and strike out (29.1 percent). He is unlikely to ever hit .300 given the strikeouts, but the power is real and he should show improvement in his sophomore campaign. Pederson should head to camp as the starting center fielder, but given his dismal second half, he's not a lock to keep the job through another prolonged slump.

The Dodgers' outfield depth kept Pederson at Triple-A for the bulk of 2014, even though he seemed ready to contribute at the big league level. Of some concern is that he struck out 26.9% of the time at Albuquerque, but Pederson has a good eye at the plate (100 walks, 18.1% BB%) and the combination of power and speed necessary to become a five-category star. He also showed significant improvement against lefties with the move from Double-A to Triple-A, striking out less against lefties than righties last season and posting a very similar batted ball profile in each split. Reaching the 30-30 plateau for the first time in his professional career at Triple-A, Pederson has nothing left to prove in the minors and should be on track to start in center field for the Dodgers on Opening Day.

Pederson solidified his status as arguably the organization's top position prospect, batting .278/.381/.497 for Double-A Chattanooga. That line included 22 home runs and 31 stolen bases to go with 70 walks. Pederson was considered for a 2013 callup at times, but his big league debut will instead likely come in 2014. The Dodgers have a crowded outfield, but Pederson's ability to play center field should get him a look at some point this season, a timetable that could move up if the front office finds a taker for one of the team's high-priced veterans currently on the roster.

Pederson was named the organization's 2012 minor league player of the year, as he broke out with a .313/.396/.516 performance for High-A Rancho Cucamonga. Pederson homered 18 times and stole 26 bases all while playing the entire year at age 20. The true test will come this year as Pederson makes the jump out of a hitter-friendly environment to Double-A where the pitching will be far more advanced. How he handles himself at the plate in 2013 will go a long way toward determining how we think about him long term, but 2012 was a step in the right direction.