Giants select two-way prospect Eldridge with No. 16 pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Giants were finalists for Shohei Ohtani a few years ago and plan to pursue him again this offseason. A year ago, they drafted left-handed pitcher/designated hitter Reggie Crawford with their first-round pick.
They certainly seem to like two-way players, and on Sunday they added another one to the organization.
The Giants selected Bryce Eldridge with their first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, taking him 16th overall and going two straight years with great two-way talent as their first selection. Eldridge, 18, is a right-handed pitcher/first baseman from James Madison High School in Virginia.
The Giants let Crawford pitch and be a DH this season in Low-A, and they’ll likely let Eldridge go down a similar path. The 6-foot-7 left-handed hitter is said to have good raw power and reached his mid-90s as a pitcher.
During an interview on ESPN’s show, Eldridge said Ohtani had been an inspiration as he tried to chart his own path.
“It’s hard. Obviously not many people do it,” he told ESPN’s Jessica Mendoza. “There’s a guy doing it in the big leagues now and being able to watch (Ohtani) do it on a daily basis, he’s really created a path for guys like me. I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am with both, so being able to be in the same conversation as Ohtani or the American Ohtani is quite rewarding, but obviously there’s a lot more work to be done.”
Eldridge grew up just outside of the Washington DC area as a Nationals fan and said during the interview that Bryce Harper was one of his favorite players. Like Harper, he ended up becoming a first-round pick.
Eldridge was ranked 23rd on MLB Pipeline’s list of top prospects, with their scouting report indicating he has a good slider and repeats his delivery well.
“At plate, the left-handed hitter has serious raw power with leverage, but has some feel to hit, with a relatively short stroke,” Pipeline wrote. “He’s soft-handed at first base and moves well around the sack, although he’s quite athletic with a positive arm where right field could be a very viable option.”
Eldridge became the fifth first-rounder to be selected since Farhan Zaidi took over as president of baseball operations and Michael Holmes was hired to lead amateur scouting. The most successful of the group was Patrick Bailey, who helped turn the season around in May. Hunter Bishop (2019) had Tommy John surgery earlier this year and Will Bednar (2021) has also been sidelined with injuries. Last year’s selection Crawford is off to a promising start this year with the San Jose Giants.
The Giants have three of the first 69 draft picks. Their second round will be 52nd overall and they also have a compensation pick after making a qualifying offer to Carlos Rodón before he signed with the New York Yankees.
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