The result was lopsided, but Joc Pederson still found a meaningful checkpoint inside it. In Friday’s 11-2 loss to the Astros, he went 1-for-1 with two walks and hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, reaching the 20-homer mark for the season.
That swing mattered beyond the scoreline. It marked Pederson’s return to the 20-homer club, a standard he has now reached seven times in 12 seasons. In a year that had already included a career-low nine home runs and a.613 OPS in 2025, getting back to 20 is a clear reminder that the power is still there when the contact and timing line up.
A milestone in a difficult season
Pederson’s Friday line was compact but productive. He finished with one hit, two walks and one of the team’s few bright moments in an otherwise rough night. The home run in the sixth inning was his 20th of the season, and it gave him a personal milestone even as the game itself moved out of reach.
That is the tension with Pederson right now: the season has not been a smooth one, and the.613 OPS reflects that, but the milestone suggests the underlying power profile has not disappeared. He is not carrying the kind of all-around offensive line that would turn heads on its own, yet reaching 20 home runs again still carries weight, especially after a 2025 mark of nine.
Seven 20-homer seasons in 12 years is a useful way to frame his career. It does not make him a finished product or a one-dimensional hitter, but it does confirm that power has remained a durable part of his game over a long stretch. Even in a season that has included real offensive struggles, Friday’s homer was a small but real correction to the bigger story.
