Bryce Eldridge #8

Grew up about 100 miles from the Giants’ Double-A affiliate, the Richmond Flying Squirrels...He idolized Bryce Harper growing up...Was committed to Alabama before signing with the Giants...Bryce’s grandfather, Ben Eldridge, is regarded as one of the greatest banjoists in the history of the genre. He was a founding member of The Seldom Scene, an influential bluegrass jam band that was nominated for four Grammy Awards. They recorded with stars like Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. The group was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in Owensboro, Ky...Bryce’s uncle, Chris, is a nine-time Grammy Award nominee. His band, Punch Brothers, won the Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2019...Cole Foster, who was drafted by the Giants in 2023 out of Auburn, became a role model for Eldridge as he was one of the more mature players for the San Jose Giants. “I call Cole Foster, ‘my little, big bro,’ because he’s a few years older than me but much smaller than I am. He’s been my older brother figure out here. He’s been through it"...Prior to focusing strictly on baseball full-time, Bryce also played wide receiver and safety...Named the 2022-23 Gatorade Virginia Baseball Player of the Year, going 9-0 with a 1.06 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 39.2 innings for James Madison (Va.) High School, while batting .422 with eight home runs, 23 RBI and a 1.716 OPS...Was a member of Team USA’s 18U National Team, which won the Gold Medal at the 2022 World Cup, and won the tournament’s MVP award. He was also named the Richard W. “Dick” Case Award winner, which is annually awarded to USA Baseball’s top player...In the 18U World Cup, Eldridge was 6-for-19 (.316) with 10 runs, three home runs, 13 RBI and an .842 slugging percentage in eight games...On the mound, Eldridge went 1-0 with five strikeouts and a save in 3.0 scoreless innings across three games.

2024

Produced one of the greatest Minor League seasons in recent Giants history, playing 116 games across four levels from Single-A to Triple-A, posting a .291 average with 23 home runs and an .890 OPS...It was decided prior to the 2024 season that Eldridge would develop as a position player going forward after being drafted as a two-way player in 2023...Flew through the Giants system as he began the season at Single-A San Jose, rose to High-A Eugene on June 28, reached Double-A Richmond on Sept. 3 and was promoted to Sacramento on Sept. 14...He was named the Giants 2024 Minor League Player of The Year by Baseball America after slashing .291/.374/.516 with 76 runs, 27 doubles, two triples, 23 homers, 92 RBI and 59 walks across all four Minor League levels and was named to the 2024 All-MiLB Prospect Team at designated hitter by MLB Pipeline...Sported a 1.060 OPS over 48 games with the Emeralds before his promotion to the Eastern League on Sept. 3...He also earned Northwest League Player of the Week honors after going 11-for-20 (.550) and hitting safely in all six games (four multi-hit games) and mashing five homers from Aug. 26-Sept. 2...Appeared in Triple-A Sacramento’s final eight games of the season and hit .258 (8-for-31)...Started the Futures Game in Texas at first base for the National League squad, went 1-for-2 with a run scored and a strikeout...Played in 10 games for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall league and got 46 plate appearances, hitting .293 with two homers and seven runs scored before being removed from the roster to let him focus on recovery from a long season and getting ready for 2025.

2023

Hit .294 (17-for-58) with a .905 OPS over 31 games for the Rookie-level ACL Giants (16 games) and Single-A San Jose Giants (15 games)...Ended the 2023 season ranked by MLB.com as the Giants’ No. 4 prospect...Played exclusively in the outfield in his first taste of pro ball with the ACL and San Jose Giants.