No surprises as SF Giants Minor League Hitter, Pitcher of the Year are announced

With the minor league season now in the rearview mirror, MLB Pipeline is handing out its organizational Player of the Year Awards. For the SF Giants, Bryce Eldridge and Trent Harris were recognized on the hitting and pitching side, respectively.

No surprises as SF Giants Minor League Hitter, Pitcher of the Year are announced

There were no surprises with Eldridge. The young, power-hitting bat was not only the best position player in the Giants system, but he was one of the better hitters in the minors in 2024.

Eldridge had a meteoric rise through the system, beginning the year in San Jose and finishing the season with a brief stint in Sacramento. It is usually a good challenge for a 19-year-old prospect to just face off against Low-A competition in their first season in pro ball.

However, the left-handed bat posted an .801 OPS with 10 home runs and 45 RBI in 229 plate appearances before earning a promotion to High-A. That was expected to test him, but again, Eldridge proved to be above the competition as he tallied a 1.060 OPS with 12 home runs and 41 RBI in 215 plate appearances with the Eugene Emeralds. This included an incredible stretch where he slashed .376/.469/.763 with nine home runs and 24 RBI in 113 plate appearances in August.

This earned him a promotion to Double-A but that proved to be a quick stop as he reached Sacramento after only nine games with the Richmond Flying Squirrels. Eldridge is finishing his strong season in the Arizona Fall League where he has already flashed some impressive power.

On the other hand, Trent Harris breezed through the lower minors out of the bullpen this year. He also had a quick rise through the minors, beginning the year in Low-A and finishing in Double-A. No Giants prospect arguably improved his stock more than Harris in 2024. This is especially true given that he was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023.

Split between Low-A and High-A, the right-handed hurler posted a 1.64 ERA with 104 strikeouts and 24 walks in 76.2 frames. He was often used as a multi-inning reliever but it would be interesting if the Giants could stretch him out as a starter.

On the mound, Harris features a mid-90's four-seam fastball with a big, 12-to-6 curveball and a slider that he can spin. He has a good feel for how to use his fastball effectively as he missed a lot of bats with it up in the zone. Harris can locate his curveball for swinging strikes both in the zone and as a chase pitch. If the slider can develop into even an average offering, that could be the development that pushes Harris into the rotation.

It was a strong year for both Eldridge and Harris. We would like to congratulate them both for being recognized by MLB Pipeline.