Just a month ago, the San Francisco Giants were sinking fast in the National League standings, swallowed by relentless quicksand. Now, after a timely resurgence — and more than a little good fortune — their fading postseason hopes have transformed into a very real shot at October baseball.
And they’ll get a jolt for the final two weeks of the regular season — the arrival of their most anticipated debut in decades.
The Giants are set to promote their top prospect, power-hitting first baseman Bryce Eldridge, from Triple-A Sacramento, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. He’s expected to join the organization in Arizona on Monday, ahead of their series-opener against the Diamondbacks.
Eldridge, 20, was San Francisco’s first pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Though initially selected as a two-way player, his future lies at first base — a position he has essentially learned on the fly while advancing through the minors. Rafael Devers plays there, but some form of rotation between first and the designated hitter spot is expected between the two for the rest of the season and beyond.
The left-handed slugger boasts some of the most impressive power potential the organization has seen in years, earning him the No. 13 overall spot on MLB.com’s top prospect list. In 66 games at Triple-A, he’s blasted 18 home runs with an .836 OPS — displaying all-fields power while his 6-foot-7, 240-pound frame brings an impressively mature presence to the batter’s box.
The Giants have been protective of Eldridge, quickly shutting down trade inquiries at the deadline and treating him as virtually untouchable. They’ve exhausted resources for him to learn to become an adequate defender at first base, involving franchise icons Will Clark, J.T. Snow and Ron Wotus as instructors to assist in his development.
And more importantly, they’ve refrained from moving Eldridge through the system too quickly — a mistake the organization has made with recent prospects like Joey Bart, Marco Luciano and Wade Meckler. He logged extended time at nearly every level and likely would have finished the year in Sacramento if not for Dominic Smith’s season-ending hamstring strain, which opened the door for a much-needed boost in the heart of San Francisco’s playoff push.
With Edlridge’s promotion, Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey is signaling a clear and direct message for the current roster and fan base — the Giants are serious about sneaking into the postseason in 2025.
Yes, it’s a chance for the presumed lineup cornerstone to get big-league reps before taking on a full-time role next season, but Eldridge’s maturity has long been one of his defining traits in the organization’s eyes. Did he really need this trial run? Couldn’t they have just slotted him into the middle of the order next spring and called it a day?
It’s a move made purely for the present. The Giants are chasing the postseason, and it’s clear Eldridge is the best player to give them a boost in this final push.
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