MLB Pipeline ranks SF Giants slugger as No. 2 first base prospect in baseball for 2026

MLB Pipeline is publishing its prospect rankings by position. Not surprisingly, SF Giants slugging prospect Bryce Eldridge was ranked as the No. 2 first base prospect in baseball for 2026.

MLB Pipeline ranks SF Giants slugger as No. 2 first base prospect in baseball for 2026

Only Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds was ranked ahead of Eldridge in this category. The Giants had a little bit of competition in the NL West, with Charlie Condon of the Colorado Rockies coming in at No. 3.

MLB Pipeline recognized him as the best first base prospect in terms of power, as well as having the highest ceiling. Their reasoning for not giving him the top spot was due to a high strikeout rate, but that does not detract from his overall talent.

"His [Eldridge] high whiff rate against non-fastballs and high strikeout rates overall in 2025 set off enough alarm bells to knock him down from the top spot on this list, but on pure talent alone, he is still very much in the conversation."

MLB Pipeline on Bryce Eldridge

Eldridge was a first-round pick by the Giants in the 2023 draft out of James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia. It is easy to forget how young he is, but if he went to college, he would be in his junior year in college.

Despite his young age, the left-handed bat has rocketed up the minor league ladder while flashing elite power in a 6-foot-7 frame that still has room to grow. This culminated with a brief promotion to the major league roster at the end of the 2025 season.

Eldridge recorded just three hits in 28 at-bats, but the elite raw power was on display. The hits did not fall often, but he made a lot of loud contact in a Giants uniform. Plus, Eldridge showed a good eye at the plate in a limited showing.

Across three minor league levels in 2025, Eldridge posted an .843 OPS with 25 home runs and 84 RBI in 433 plate appearances. This did come with a 29.3 percent strikeout rate, but some of that can be chalked up to facing more advanced competition than most players his age.

When the offseason began, the Giants were a tad hesitant to commit to Eldridge starting next season on the roster. They have not conveyed whether that plan approach has changed. However, they have also not made any additions that would block him, even on a temporary basis to give him more time in Triple-A.

The long-term plan is for Eldridge and Rafael Devers to split time at DH and first base. That timeshare could begin as soon as next season.