Bryce Eldridge Ranked No. 2 First Base Prospect in Baseball, Power Potential Turning Heads
MLB Pipeline rolled out its latest positional prospect rankings, and the Giants’ top slugging prospect, Bryce Eldridge, has landed squarely near the top of the list. The 19-year-old was named the No. 2 first base prospect in all of baseball for 2026, trailing only Sal Stewart of the Reds. Not a bad place to be for a kid who, just a few years ago, was mashing baseballs at James Madison High School in Virginia.
Eldridge isn’t just another name on a list-he’s the kind of prospect that makes you pause and imagine what could be. At 6-foot-7, he’s got the kind of physical presence that jumps off the field.
And when he connects, the ball doesn’t just leave the bat-it explodes off it. MLB Pipeline called him the top power bat among first base prospects and gave him the highest ceiling in the group.
That’s high praise, especially when you consider the level of talent across the league.
So why isn’t he No. 1?
The answer lies in the swing-and-miss. Eldridge’s strikeout rate raised some eyebrows in 2025, particularly against breaking stuff and offspeed pitches.
Pipeline pointed out that his whiff rate against non-fastballs was a red flag, and his overall strikeout numbers were enough to bump him down a peg. But make no mistake-this isn’t a knock on his potential.
On pure talent alone, he’s still very much in the conversation for the top spot.
And the numbers back that up. Across three minor league levels last season, Eldridge posted an .843 OPS with 25 home runs and 84 RBIs in 433 plate appearances.
That 29.3% strikeout rate is definitely something to watch, but it came while facing more advanced competition than most players his age. The Giants pushed him hard, and he held his own.
That aggressive development path even included a late-season call-up to the big leagues. The results were modest-just three hits in 28 at-bats-but the raw power was unmistakable.
Eldridge didn’t light up the box score, but he made loud contact and showed a patient approach at the plate. For a teenager getting his first taste of big-league pitching, that’s more than enough to build on.
What’s next? That’s the big question.
As the offseason rolls on, the Giants haven’t made any moves that would block Eldridge from potentially breaking camp with the big-league club. They’ve been cautious about committing to that idea, but they also haven’t added a stopgap at first base or DH.
That door’s still open.
Long-term, the plan seems to be a timeshare between Eldridge and Rafael Devers at first base and designated hitter. That arrangement could begin as early as this season, depending on how Eldridge looks in spring training and how the roster shakes out.
For now, the Giants-and the rest of baseball-know they’ve got something special. Bryce Eldridge may not be the No. 1 first base prospect right now, but he’s got the kind of upside that could make that ranking feel like a footnote a year from now.