Braves fans take Joc Pederson appreciation to next level

In a tie game, Braves fans still gave Joc Pederson a standing ovation in his final at-bat for the San Francisco Giants.

For Pederson to receive a standing ovation pregame would be fairly normal for a fan favorite returning to his old stomping grounds.

However, for Atlanta baseball fans to do so in his final AB — an at-bat that would prove critical in the Braves eventual win — proves just how much Pederson means to his supporters.

Pederson spent just half a season in Atlanta, but he’ll always be remembered for making opposing teams clutch their pearls during the Braves World Series run. He wore those same pearls on Monday night in his return to Truist Park, where he received his World Series ring.

Braves fans respect Joc Pederson

Pederson’s only at-bat was a chance to pinch hit, and he did well on that opportunity, recording his first and only hit of the ball-game.

It’s unknown if Pederson will get an opportunity to start in his return to the ATL. At the very least, he’ll get cheered every time he makes an appearance. In terms of wearing the pearls, Pederson made it clear — it wasn’t much of a choice.

“This is the first day that I’m wearing them since that run,” Pederson told reporters at Truist Park. “It just felt right to wear them and I think it goes with the whole story of why I started wearing them, is it just felt right and I wanted to wear them and Atlanta embraced them and took it to another level. I didn’t really want to wear them again until we were here.”

What Pederson and the Braves did last postseason was special. We’ll see if Atlanta can replicate that without him, and the likes of Freddie Freeman, this season.