[2] Pederson was selected in the 9th round (228th overall) of the 1981 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of the University of Southern California.

[2][3] Pederson debuted with the Single-A Lodi Dodgers, hitting a home run in his first at bat, and finished his first professional season with a walk-off home run that gave Lodi the 1981 California League Championship.

[8] On August 18, 2012, Pederson was inducted into the Syracuse Chiefs Wall of Fame.

[1][3] He debuted on September 8, 1985, and played his final major league game on October 6.

In 2022, Pedersen was named manager of the Glacier Range Riders of the Pioneer League after serving as a bench coach for the Kalispell, Montana based team in their inaugural 2021 season.