Can We Talk About Bryce Eldridge?

I know what you must be thinking. Two blogs in two consecutive days? Well in my haste to compose superlatives on the state of the Giants young stars, I omitted a name that we must pay attention to. That would be one Bryce Eldridge. Eldridge was the Giants' 1st round pick in the 2023 MLB draft out of James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia. At the time, Eldridge was the top two-way prospect in the draft having pitched and played in the field in high school. Eldridge would continue playing two ways in his first professional season, pitching and playing right field for the Giants rookie affiliate and at Single-A San Jose. Prior to the 2024 season, the Giants announced that Eldridge would no longer be pitching and would instead be moved to first base full-time. In 25 games at San Jose so far, Eldridge has hit .265 (26-98) with 6 doubles, 5 home runs, and 25 RBI. He does have some swing-and-miss to his game as he's struck out 28 times (29%), but he's also walked 10 times. Eldridge is only 19 years old, so I think we're still a long way off from hearing his name in San Francisco, but this might be the next big name to watch as he ascends through the minor leagues. Given the rosters, I think it would be reasonable to see Eldridge at AA Richmond at some point this season depending on how aggressive the Giants want to be with his development, but expecting to see him at AAA Sacramento this year would probably be a stretch unless he absolutely catches fire.

To give you a little background on Eldridge and his scouting report, the first baseman stands at 6' 7" and weighs in at 223 pounds. As an amateur pitcher, he had a 92-94 mph fastball topping out at 96 mph, and a low-80s slider. So, he definitely flashes some arm strength. As a hitter, he was ranked one of the best raw power hitters in the 2023 draft class. He has a quick swing with power and leverage that allows him to hit the ball hard and can hit the ball out of any part of the ballpark. He shows a feel for hitting with a compact swing for his size and a disciplined plate approach. Eldridge has below-average speed but is more athletic than most players his size. On defense he has soft hands and plus arm strength and should be at least average defensively.

So that's the report. If you're in San Jose and get a chance to see this kid play, I suggest you do it before he moves on to Richmond and beyond. And if his trajection holds, it may only be a matter of time before we see him on the field at Oracle Park.