Baseball Outfielder Joc Pederson’s wife, Kelsey Williams, is a former American Volleyball player.
The Texas Rangers and free-agent DH Joc Pederson have agreed to terms on a two-year, $37 million contract with an opt-out after 2025.
Highlights
- Joc Pederson has signed a two-year contract with the Texas Rangers for $37 million.
- Pederson married his longtime girlfriend, Kelsey Williams, in January 2018. They live in Studio City, California.
- Kelsey and Joc share four children: Poppy, Wilder, Rhodes, and Fitz Rockwell Pederson.
The move came just after the Rangers traded away first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, leaving an opening for a left-handed bat in the lineup.
Joc is coming off of a standout year in Arizona, where he hit .275./393/.515 with 23 homers in 449 plate appearances, with most of that damage coming against right-handed pitching.
The left-handed hitter had just 42 plate appearances against southpaws, though he posted a respectable .749 OPS while facing them.
For the Rangers, the addition of Pederson offers some much-needed thump to a lineup that finished just 22nd in the majors with a 95 wRC+ last year.
That includes fully disgraceful production at DH, where Texas managed just a 65 wRC+ that was second-worst in baseball, ahead of only the Reds.
Pederson not only adds another big lefty bat to the Rangers lineup to complement his former Dodgers teammate Corey Seager but also makes up for the loss of Nathaniel Lowe.
With Pederson now in the fold, RosterResource projects the Rangers’ payroll at just under $217 million in 2025. That figure jumps to just over $229 million for luxury tax purposes.
Joc Pederson Shares Four Children With His Wife Kelsey Williams
Joc Pederson, 32, and Kelsey Williams started as longtime friends, both hailing from the San Fransisco Bay Area. They reportedly started dating in 2015.
After dating for about three years, the couple officially married in January 2018, surrounded by around 250 guests.
Their wedding took place at Villa Sevillano in Santa Barbara, California. In addition, a renowned singer, John Legend, performed at the ceremony.
Even though Kelsey is married to a famous athlete, Kelsey keeps a relatively low profile.
Born on June 22, 1993, in Raleigh, North Carolina, to her father, Jeff Williams, and her mother, Melissa Williams, Kelsey Williams, 31, grew up with her sisters, Avery and Marin Willaims.
She attended Amador Valley High School in California. After graduation, Kelsey attended Duke University, where she studied psychology.
Kelsey also played on the school’s volleyball team, the Blue Devils, and served as their assistant coach in 2015.
Recently, on July 23, 2024, Joc wished Kelsey a happy birthday through his official Facebook handle and captioned,
Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife. The best mom our kids could ask for. Baseball season is tough and ur the rock that keeps us together and travels all over for our family to be together and make memories. We now are in KC which is both of our 30th and final baseball stadium to check off the list. What a crazy journey can’t wait to celebrate with you
Joc Pederson
Joc and Kelsey were blessed with their first child, daughter Poppy Jett Pederson, 6, on October 16, 2018.
The baseball outfielder announced the news by posting a photo of his daughter on Instagram. He captioned,
Poppy Jett Pederson 7 lbs 11 oz Kels and baby are healthy and recovering love you guys! Kels you crushed it proud of you!
Joc Pederson
Kelsey and Joc welcomed their second child, Wilder Pederson, 5, in 2020, a month before the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series Championship victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
On October 29, 2022, the couple welcomed their third child, a son, Rhodes Russell, 2.
Joc and Kelsey announced through Instagram that they are expecting their fourth child. On March 4, 2024, the couple finally welcomed their fourth son, Fitz Rockwell Pederson.
On December 14, 2024, Joc posted a photo with all three sons on Instagram and captioned,
we dem boys
Joc Pederson
Additional Information
- The son of former MLB player Stu Pederson, Joc was drafted by the Dodgers in the 11th round of the 2010 MLB draft out of Palo Alto High School.
- Due to his Jewish heritage, Pederson was eligible to play for the Israel national baseball team in the qualifying rounds of the 2013 World Baseball Classic, the youngest player.
- In 2019, Joc was inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame of Northern California. He was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.
