The San Francisco Giants have at least one young player who has the potential to be a future star.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter compiled a list of the 25 best young prospects who are 20 years old or younger, and one member of the Giants’ farm system made the cut: first baseman Bryce Eldridge.
“Eldridge is an imposing 6-foot-4, 220-pound hitter who was one of the best two-way players in the 2023 draft class. In his first full professional season, he has devoted all of his attention to hitting,” Reuter said. “He has only just scratched the surface of what could be some of the best raw power of any talent.”
The future San Francisco first baseman landed at number 20 on the list and was the third-best player at his position.
He was selected number 16 in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft and has proven to be quite valuable. If the draft were redone today, he could move up a few spots.
The 19-year-old could have been an elite player as a pitcher or in the field. His size is that of today’s ideal pitching talent, which is followed by the tall and lanky Noah Schultz of the Chicago White Sox and Andrew Painter of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Instead, he decided to put on some muscle and move to first base to improve his bat, and so far, it seems to have been a great decision.
He made it to High-A earlier this season and has performed better than he has at any other stop, with a slashing line of .309/.425/.510 in 41 games.
He has the power to hit 17 home runs in 92 games, about the same pace as last season.
If the Giants are smart, they will keep him for the future rather than trading him in pursuit of a quick World Series title.
At this point, Eldridge is expected to make the jump to the major leagues around 2026. That would be the perfect time, as that is when current first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. is expected to become a free agent.
Wade would be entering his 32nd season and will likely fetch a good price if he continues his winning streak. It would be nice to be able to stay at a lower price while building for the future.
However, that decision is still pending. For now, San Francisco needs to focus on developing its bat.
