Power-hitting prospect, lefty pitcher make cut for SF Giants on Fangraphs' top-100 prospect list

Bryce Eldridge has been the SF Giants' lone representative on many of the top prospect lists this winter. However, left-handed pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt joined him on Fangraphs' top-100 prospect list that was published on Monday morning.

Power-hitting prospect, lefty pitcher make cut for SF Giants on Fangraphs' top-100 prospect list

Eldridge came in at No. 26, whereas Whisenhunt squeaked in at No. 95. Before I continue, I should add that Fangraphs is moving more toward a subscription-based service. They have had a subscription for the past few years but the detailed summaries and breakdowns are moving behind a paywall. They do excellent work, so please subscribe to continue supporting their work.

The Giants' power-hitting prospect is coming off of an excellent season in which he slashed .292/.374/.516 with 23 home runs, 76 runs, and 92 RBI in 519 plate appearances spread across four levels. This includes an 11.4 percent walk rate, 25.4 percent strikeout rate, and .224 ISO. Eldridge did this all in his age-19 season while finishing the year in Triple-A.

The Giants did send Eldridge to the Arizona Fall League to continue getting live reps. However, they shut him down midway through that season after being satisfied with his progress.

It is fair to say that the No. 26 ranking may feel a bit low given his age and how he performed. That ranking is likely weighed down by first base being his primary position. Oftentimes, these rankings do put considerable weight into players who can stick at premium positions such as catcher, shortstop, or center field.

Eldridge has about as much power upside as any prospect on this list. The Giants hope that he can debut with the club as soon as this year but performance will dictate the timing.

On the other hand, Whisenhunt usually appeared in the back end of these lists last offseason. However, he fell off many lists this winter after posting a 5.42 ERA in 25 starts in the Pacific Coast League, highlighting how recent performance does impact rankings.

On the surface, it looked like the lefty pitching prospect struggled during his first stint with the Sacramento River Cats. However, it was quietly a solid year as he performed well at home with a 2.34 ERA in 14 starts, including two with the San Jose Giants, compared to an 8.31 ERA in 13 outings on the road. Many of the ballparks in the Pacific Coast League are at extremely high elevations that only rival Coors Field but Sacramento's home ballpark is one of the fairer parks in the league.

Plus, Whisenhunt was able to build up arm strength as he eclipsed the 100-inning threshold for the first time as a pro and he was able to more confidently mix in a slider as a third pitch to go with his sinker-changeup combination. Interestingly, his changeup was given an 80 grade on a 20 - 80 scale, so it is currently viewed as an elite pitch.

While being able to deploy an elite pitch could lend itself to success in the bullpen, the Giants have hinted that they plan to continue stretching Whisenhunt out as a starter.