After waiting for a clear path in San Francisco, Eldridge is turning his 70-grade power, improving approach, and loud contact into early major league production that looks more sustainable than fluky
By Wes Dixon | June 14, 2026
Bryce Eldridge was never supposed to be ordinary.
When the San Francisco Giants drafted him 16th overall in 2023, the selling point was obvious. He was huge, left-handed, and powerful, the kind of hitter whose physical tools immediately stood out. At 6-foot-7, Eldridge looked like a future middle-of-the-order bat despite only being 18 years old.
For a while, the answer was complicated. Eldridge climbed quickly through the Giants’ system, but his arrival in the majors was not completely straightforward. San Francisco had other names blocking paths to at-bats, and the roster never offered a perfectly clean runway. Between the presence of veterans, first-base/DH questions, and the Giants’ own hesitation, Eldridge had to wait for a real chance.
Now that he has it, he is making the most of it.
Eldridge has been one of the more exciting young bats in baseball since being recalled this season. Through his early major league sample, he has hit .316 with a .398 on-base percentage and .561 slugging percentage. That comes with five home runs, a 167 wRC+, and nearly one win above replacement in limited time.
The main thing that has stood out is his power.
MLB Pipeline named Eldridge the best power hitter among its Top 100 prospects, giving him 70-grade power and pointing to his quick left-handed swing, leverage, and strength. That scouting report has translated. His average exit velocity sits at 92.4 mph, and his hard-hit rate is 58.1 percent. Those numbers matter because they show that production is not built on good luck alone. Eldridge is hitting the ball with the kind of authority that supports real power projection.
That part of his game has always been the draw.
Eldridge told FanGraphs that hitting was the quickest path to the majors because “with my power and size, and I have a short swing, it makes the most sense.” He also made it clear how he views himself as a hitter. “Being able to put the ball in the air is my game,” he said. “If I can get it in the air, it flies.”
That is the profile.
Eldridge is probably not going to become a slap hitter or a player with an elite hit tool. His likely long-term outcome is closer to a three-true-outcome power hitter, but in a good way. He has the power to change games, the plate discipline to take walks, and enough swing-and-miss to keep pitchers aggressive in the zone.
The encouraging part is that the strikeout rate is not out of control. A 22.1 percent strikeout rate is hardly alarming for a hitter with this kind of raw power, especially when paired with a 12.4 percent walk rate.
His own comments match that growth. Eldridge told FanGraphs, “If I can solidify my approach, I can do more damage,” adding that he wants to “lay off the ones I should and crush the right pitches in the air.”
There will be adjustments. Pitchers will test him upstairs. They will challenge him with breaking balls with far more movement than anything Eldridge has seen. They will see whether his long frame can stay short enough to the ball in difficult spots. That is part of the process for any young slugger.
Eldridge already hits the ball hard, controls the zone better than expected, and has the kind of raw strength that cannot be taught. All he has to do from here is keep proving that the power, discipline, and swing decisions can hold up as pitchers adjust.
Wesley Dixon is a multi-sport journalist delivering sharp analysis, player insights, and storytelling. His coverage spans across the biggest leagues in all major sports.
