Eldridge 'itching' to make big impact at Giants camp
Maria Guardado
@mi_guardadoThis story was excerpted from Maria Guardado¡¯s Giants Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Monday couldn¡¯t come soon enough for Bryce Eldridge.
Eldridge had been working out at the Giants¡¯ Minor League complex at Papago Park since reporting to Arizona in mid-January, but he finally got his first taste of big league camp when the club held its first full-squad workout at Scottsdale Stadium earlier this week.
It was only then that the Giants¡¯ No. 1 prospect truly felt he¡¯d arrived.
¡°They had to chain me back from this place,¡± Eldridge said. ¡°They want to protect me and have me healthy going into the year, so it all makes sense. But I definitely was itching to get in here and get comfortable with the guys. The first day, they¡¯ve all welcomed me and treated me like I¡¯m part of the team. It¡¯s pretty cool.¡±
The 20-year-old Eldridge is the youngest player in camp this year, but he¡¯s already generating plenty of buzz following a smashing 2024 campaign that saw him race from Single-A San Jose to Triple-A Sacramento. The power-hitting first baseman finished his first full professional season batting .291 with an .890 OPS and 23 home runs in 116 games across four levels, which helped build his confidence ahead of his first Major League Spring Training.
¡°You¡¯re not going to have a lot of success in this game if you don¡¯t believe you¡¯re the best out there,¡± Eldridge said. ¡°That¡¯s just how I feel every time I go out there. I think I¡¯m the best, in the least cocky way possible. It¡¯s always going to be there. Even now, I feel like I belong with these guys.¡±
With LaMonte Wade Jr. and Wilmer Flores penciled in at first base, Eldridge isn¡¯t expected to be in the mix for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but he could be on track to break into the Majors this year, especially if he continues to flash the offensive prowess that has quickly turned him into one of the most highly-touted bats in the Minors.
¡°The hitting is already way beyond a [20]-year-old,¡± manager Bob Melvin said. ¡°So it¡¯s just getting him comfortable and getting him some games. Let him get some at-bats and play and then go do his thing this year and push the envelope.¡±
While he has an advanced approach at the plate, Eldridge is still a work in progress at first base, a position he only started playing full-time last year. Eldridge was a two-way player in high school, but he mostly split his time between the mound and designated hitter before being selected by the Giants in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He¡¯s still getting comfortable with his footwork and hands at first base, but he feels he¡¯s come a long way since entering pro ball.
¡°I think compared to [last] spring, even these guys and the staff, everyone has noticed I¡¯ve just continued to get better,¡± Eldridge said. ¡°Obviously it wasn¡¯t perfect last year, and we¡¯re going to keep having growing pains. But the goal is to just be steady over there and be the best I can be and help out the big league team and help out whatever team I¡¯m on. That¡¯s been a priority here. We¡¯re just trying to hammer that down and keep getting better fundamentally and trying to slow things down there.¡±
Eldridge has already had the opportunity to learn from Giants icon Will Clark, and he¡¯ll soon have another key resource in six-time Gold Glove winner J.T. Snow, who is expected to be in camp as a guest instructor beginning on Saturday.
¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯ve heard, that he¡¯s a first-base guru,¡± Eldridge said of Snow. ¡°That¡¯s something I could really use in my life right now.¡±
At 6-foot-7, Eldridge is already a natural standout on the field, but he¡¯s hoping to reach even greater heights with the Giants in 2025. He should have plenty of chances to open eyes this spring, as he¡¯s likely to get some at-bats in the early goings of Cactus League play.
¡°I think the goal here is just to make a good impression with all these guys and just build relationships and leave here with these guys thinking that they need me on their team,¡± Eldridge said. ¡°That¡¯s the goal. Whenever they send me back to Minor League camp or whatever the plan is for them, have them thinking, ¡®We want this guy back as soon as possible.¡¯ That¡¯s the goal for me.¡±