A year later, Pederson feeling more settled

WASHINGTON — One glance at the numbers, and it’s easy to deduce that the Dodgers will be getting a different version of Joc Pederson this October.

Their slugging center fielder entered the 2015 playoffs with a .637 OPS over the season’s final month. With the ’16 NLDS set to get underway in Washington on Friday night (5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT on FS1), that number is 444 points higher for Pederson this year.

Game Date Time Matchup TV Gm 1 Oct. 7 5:30 p.m. LAD @ WSH FS1 Gm 2 Oct. 8 4 p.m. LAD @ WSH FS1 Gm 3 Oct. 10 TBD WAS @ LAD FS1 / MLBN *Gm 4 Oct. 11 TBD WAS @ LAD FS1 *Gm 5 Oct. 13 TBD LAD @ WSH FS1 *- If necessary | All times listed ETShop for postseason gear: Dodgers | Nationals • Complete Postseason coverage

But the drastic uptick in his late-season performance only tells a part of the story.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was in San Diego last season, so he watched Pederson’s rookie season from afar. But in the time Roberts has spent around his 24-year-old center fielder this year, he’s already seen plenty of development.

“From the conversations that …

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