Bryce Eldridge’s insane first full season of pro ball takes another step in the right direction.
Eldridge, the 19-year-old first baseman, is being promoted to Double-A, this news organization confirmed. Roger Munter of ThereRGiants.com was first to report the news.
The Giants selected Eldridge in the first round of the 2023 amateur draft, and he has since become San Francisco’s No. 1 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline.
Eldridge began the year at Low-A San Jose before graduating to the High-A Eugene Emeralds and now jumped to Double-A Richmond for the final two weeks of his season. Starting next season with the Richmond Flying Squirrels would put Eldridge on track to make his big league debut in 2025 — as long as he continues to produce from the plate like he has.
In 99 games this year across the two levels, Eldridge has hit 22 home runs while posting a .296 batting average and a .923 OPS. The 6-foot-7 slugger performed even better with the Emeralds than he did in Low-A.
Eldridge played 48 games for Eugene, slashing .335/.442/.619 with 11 doubles, 12 home runs and 41 RBI. He went deep five times in his last six games and finished with a 1.060 OPS. Originally drafted as a possible two-way player, Eldridge has focused solely on playing first base and designated hitter this season.
According to Baseball America, Eldridge’s wRC+ ranks third among 19-year-olds at that particular level since 2006. Eldridge was named the Northwest League Player of the Week in what is poised to be his final week in High-A ever.
The Flying Squirrels have 12 games left on their schedule and are not expected to make the postseason. While Eldridge won’t be able to prove much either way in such limited time, promoting him to Double-A is a strong reward for his success. At the Futures Game this summer, Eldridge said his goal was to reach Double-A by the end of the year.
Eldridge is only 19, but teenagers and young adults in their early twenties have made an impact in MLB with more regularity. Jackson Holiday and Jackson Chouriho are 20, while Jackson Merrill is 21 and Paul Skenes is 22.
The Giants have been looking for a star for years. They may only have one in their farm system.