Joc Pederson, Corey Seager Will Make Dodgers Fans Forget Hanley, Kemp

All together, Los Angeles Dodgers fans: Goodbye Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez, hello Joc Pederson and Corey Seager.

Yes, the winds of change are whistling in Southern California, and they're blowing in a new core of homegrown stars.

Don't get us wrong: Ramirez and Kemp pitched in during their tenures at Chavez Ravine, even if injuries and inconsistency sapped their production at times.

Add it all up, and Ramirez and Kemp contributed a combined 30.9 WAR for Los Angeles, per Baseball-Reference.com. Whether or not you like that stat, that's undeniably impactful.

That means Pederson, who figures to be the Dodgers' Opening Day center fielder, and Seager, who will marinate a bit longer in the minors, have big shoes to fill.

If their MiLB stats and spring performances are any indicator, they're up to the task.

Let's start with Pederson, who came into camp with a job to win and has done everything needed to do exactly that.

Manager Don Mattingly was still playing coy on March 18, telling Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times, "We haven't made any decision on who's going to be where. But we do like the way things are going for Joc."

That's an understatement. The 22-year-old launched his fourth spring home run on Wednesday and owns a .409 Cactus League batting average. 

John Locher/Associated Press

Pederson bashed 33 home runs and posted a 1.017 OPS in Triple-A last season, winning Pacific Coast League MVP honors in the process. 

So he can swing it, no question there. He's also a plus defender, something the Dodgers have been searching for in center field.

Kemp was a major liability last season, posting a -20.4 UZR, per FanGraphs, and Los Angeles wound up starting Yasiel Puig in center 52 times. 

If Pederson can step up and claim the position, it'd go a long way toward solidifying LA's long-term prospects.

Speaking of prospects, let's talk Seager. 

Yes, the 20-year-old was recently reassigned to minor league camp; that's no surprise considering the Dodgers' infield is stuffed with established veterans.

But Seager, who posted a .349/.402/.602 slash line between High-A and Double-A last year, will get a shot sooner than later.

The only question is whether he'll still be a shortstop when that shot comes. ESPN.com's Keith Law, who ranked Seager No. 5 on his influential top-100 prospects list, doesn't think so. And MLB.com lists him at 6'4", 215 pounds, on the bigger side for the position.

Mattingly, meanwhile, doesn't merely leave the possibility of Seager being his shortstop open, he conjures a lofty comparison. 

"Without a putting a giant 'x' on his back, he's more like a [Cal] Ripken to me, as far as being the big shortstop that doesn't really profile there but has great hands, great awareness, really good clock as far as calmness and knowing the timing," the Dodgers' skipper told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

John Locher/Associated Press

"My personal opinion is he's starting to show he's special," said an unnamed National League scout, per Pedro Moura of the Orange County Register. "This guy’s starting to look like he can stick at shortstop. I think he has a pretty good chance to stay."

No pressure, kid.

Seager is likely a year away at least, and he'll have to jockey for position in the infield pecking order with high-priced Cuban signees Alex Guerrero and Hector Olivera, among others. 

The bottom line is that he, along with Pederson, represents a potential wholesale replacement of the Kemp/Ramirez tandem and the antithesis of the Dodgers' current high-rolling reputation: an exciting, cost-controlled talent who makes tomorrow glisten almost as bright as today's payroll.

In Los Angeles, that's saying something.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.