Getty
If he keeps improving, the San Francisco Giants will soon have to call up top prospect Bryce Eldridge.
It was notable when, at the end of spring training, the San Francisco Giants decided that top prospect Bryce Eldridge would start the season in the minor leagues. Judging by his early-season performances in Triple-A Sacramento, Eldridge won’t be there for long.
In fact, Eldridge’s early-season success in Triple-A is such that, barring a significant cooldown, the Giants will have no choice but to bring him up sooner rather than later.
Unless otherwise noted, stats are accurate through play on Friday, April 10.
Bryce Eldridge Is Becoming a More Well Rounded Hitter
Eldridge, who checks in at 6-foot-7 and weighs 251 pounds, has never lacked power. Over three levels of Minor League Baseball in 2025, Eldridge hit 25 home runs in 102 at-bats. That included 18 home runs over 66 games (253 at-bats) in Triple-A Sacramento. It’s easy to see why he’s regarded as the best power-hitting prospect in baseball.
🚨🚨🚨 BRYCE ELDRIDGE HOMER CLEARS THE BULLPENS 🚨🚨🚨
Eldridge’s problem has been a feast-or-famine approach. In 2025, he produced a .260/.333/.510 slash line in the minors, going .249/.322/.514 in Triple-A. That’s not terrible, by any means, but Eldridge certainly entered 2026 as a work in progress.
In the early part of 2026, he’s shown much of the progress the Giants wanted to see.
Eldridge is slashing .360/.492 /.520. To be fair, this early in the season, a hot few games can do a lot to a player’s numbers. Over three games from Wednesday, April 8, through April 10, Eldridge was a scalding 9-for-14, slashing .643/.667/1.000.
Before his hot streak, Eldridge had a more moderate .250/.438/.333 slash line. While it would certainly be fair to label the .250 batting average and .333 slugging percentage as modest, we can’t say the same about a .438 OBP. That shows us that, even before his hot streak, Eldridge was being selective about the pitches he offered at. It also shows that he can be effective at getting on base even when the power isn’t totally clicking.
Of course, Eldridge improving isn’t the only factor in him getting called up. The other is finding a place to play him, which means identifying an odd man out of the current group.
The Giants Have Two Realistic Options for Eldridge To Replace
Long term, Eldridge’s role with the Giants will likely be at either first base or designated hitter. Through the early part of 2026, those roles have been manned mostly by Casey Schmitt and Rafael Devers. There’s no sugarcoating it: Devers is off to a terrible start in 2026. That said, he’s not going anywhere. Schmitt, on the other hand, could certainly be a candidate.
If we were making this decision after the opening series of the year, Schmitt would almost certainly be the odd man out. But since going 0-for-9 in that season-opening series against the New York Yankees, Schmitt’s play has been strong.
After the series with the Yankees, Schmitt has slashed at .476/.542/.714, posting five doubles. He’s also helped spark the team, as the Giants are 5-1 in games Schmitt has played since the sweep against New York. Schmitt can also play anywhere on the infield (first base might actually be his worst position).
As we’ve already noted, Eldridge and Devers are San Francisco’s first base/designated hitter tandem of the future. So, long term, Schmitt is probably the odd man out. Short terms, though? That may be a different story.
Several Giants have been underwhelming early in 2026. Still, it’s hard to find a more disappointing group than the trio that has been San Francisco’s primary starting outfield, Heliot Ramos, Harrison Bader and Jung Hoo Lee. Combined, Ramos, Bader and Lee are slashing .159/.204/.241. Eldridge, meanwhile, was working on his outfield defense in spring training.
Realistically, Eldridge can inject a spark into the struggling outfield, but whose spot would he take?
Bader was brought in largely to solidify San Francisco’s outfield defense. There may ultimately be talks about replacing him if his bat doesn’t get going. Still, it’s hard to imagine Eldridge playing center field at Oracle Park. Similarly, Oracle Park is one of the toughest right fields to play in all of baseball. Lee certainly needs to improve. But if we’re talking about more than a few games, Eldridge in right field is a tough fit.
But what about Ramos?
The early season has been a struggle for Ramos, who’s slashing .196/.226/.216. And while there are certainly valid concerns to be made regarding Eldridge’s defense in the outfield, Ramos has had his share of struggles, as well.
Of course, Ramos is only two years removed from being the first homegrown outfielder to represent the Giants in the All-Star Game since Chili Davis in 1986. That said, in 2025, he took a big step back, particularly with his power. After slugging .469 in 2024, Ramos slugged only .400 in 2025.
Given that Ramos is only 26, it might seem far too early to just throw in the towel on a player who just two years ago looked like a franchise cornerstone. That said, if Eldridge continues to show improvements, it will get increasingly harder to justify keeping him in Triple-A, especially if the Giants’ offense continues to be inconsistent. Presently, left field is the most rational spot for him in the San Francisco lineup.