Krukow shares why Giants believe Eldridge’s bat is MLB-ready

Krukow shares why Giants believe Eldridge’s bat is MLB-ready originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

With Bryce Eldridge set to attend his first MLB spring training, all eyes will be on the top Giants prospect as he shows what he can do against big league-caliber pitching.

And while the 20-year-old slugger won’t be on San Francisco’s Opening Day roster, Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow explained why it’s only up from here for Eldridge.

“Well, he’s going to get a lot of instruction,” Krukow told KNBR’s “Murph & Markus” show Tuesday. “You got guys coming in [to Giants spring training] like Will Clark and JT Snow, and he’s going to get better defensively talking to those guys. I still hope that Brandon Belt shows up, because he would have a lot to be able to tell a guy, because he’s a big guy and he’s a tall guy, and Eldridge is [6-foot-7]. That’s the thing that he has to develop. He has to develop his defensive skills.

“They believe that he can hit at the big league level right now. Right now. That’s how much they respect his swing. If you’ve ever want to do yourself favor, go check him out on and what his videos are on YouTube. Go take a look at his at-bats. And what you see is a guy, [6-foot-7], that can take the inside pitch, inside-out it, and hit it out of the ballpark the opposite way, and that is rare.”

The Giants selected Eldridge at No. 16 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, and he began the 2024 season with Low-A San Jose before being promoted to High-A Eugene on June 28 and Double-A Richmond on Sept. 3. Eldridge was so impressive that he joined Triple-A Sacramento for the rest of the River Cats’ season on Sept. 14, at just 19 years old.

Across 446 at-bats in 2024, Eldridge slashed .289/.372/.885 with 129 hits, 91 RBI, 23 home runs and six stolen bases. He earned MiLB Player of the Year honors from Baseball America for his efforts last year, and is focusing on improving his defense this offseason as he transitions from a two-way player into a power-hitting first baseman.

While working on his defense will be a priority for Eldridge in big league camp, the offensive prowess already is evident.

“That is rare for a guy [who’s 6-foot-7], believe me,” Krukow continued. “… He’s fileted balls over the wall in left field, which means he’s getting a percentage of the baseball, he ain’t getting it all. And for a guy to be able to slice a ball over the wall the opposite way, that’s unusual strength, and he’s 19, just turning 20. He’s going to get a lot more strength. He’s not even going to realize his full strength until he’s 27 or 28 years old. So, there’s more in the gas tank for this kid.”

Krukow explained that Eldridge’s looming MLB ascension is one reason why the Giants were willing to go with first-base options already on the roster, rather than investing in an available veteran on the free-agent market.

“Could happen in a year, could happen in two years, and you don’t want to be strapped to a contract with a veteran when you’re really waiting for [Eldridge] to develop and take that job,” Krukow said.

Eldridge certainly is the Giants’ most exciting position prospect in years, and the organization is taking things slow with the young phenom. Once he develops into the all-around player San Francisco knows he can become, it will be an electric day at Oracle Park when he makes his MLB debut.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast