Predicting if (and when) Bryce Eldridge will make his MLB debut in 2025

SF Giants top prospect Bryce Eldridge carries a lot of high expectations given the fact that he is such a highly touted power hitter. However, at just 20 years old there is no guarantee he will debut with San Francisco in 2025.

After Eldridge crushed a massive home run in the first game of spring training, some fans were already clamoring for the 6-foot-7 left-handed masher to make the Opening Day roster. That would have been premature as he still needs time to mature which is why he was reassigned to minor league camp.

But the excitement around him is understandable. He hit 23 homers in the minor leagues last season and he has the potential to be the best offensive prospect for the Giants since Buster Posey.

Predicting if and when Bryce Eldridge will debut for SF Giants

Despite the hype, the Giants would be wise to take things slow with Eldridge. We have seen the team rush prospects up in the past like with Joey Bart and Marco Luciano and they both struggled early in their big league careers which may have negatively affected their confidence.

As of right now, the Giants do not have a pressing need at first base given the fact that they have veterans Wilmer Flores and LaMonte Wade Jr. holding down the fort there. However, if either player gets hurt or does not perform well, the calls to promote Eldridge to the majors would be loud.

It is important to note that Eldridge is currently not on a minor league roster because he is dealing with a lingering wrist injury that popped up earlier in March. One hopes it is not a major issue and he can begin getting reps soon either in Double-A or Triple-A.

There is no guarantee that Eldridge will debut in 2025, and the only way it would make sense is if the Giants have a pressing need on the roster due to injuries or if they are out of the playoff hunt towards the end of the year and want to given Eldridge a little taste of the majors.

That would be similar to how the Giants promoted Posey towards the end of the 2009 season to get his feet wet at the big league level. Of course, rosters do not expand in Septmeber the way they once did so it is not as easy for a team to call up young prospects.

Because it seems like the Giants want to be more prudent with how they call up prospects, I would not be surprised if Eldridge does not make the major league team in 2025. The Giants probably want to see him dominate or at the very least look good in the minors for a full year rather than rushing him up before he is ready. He also needs to develop his defense at first base more.

If this is accurate, some fans will be disappointed. But it is far more important to call Eldridge up when he is ready rather than doing so for the sake of excitement and that initial sugar rush when it may actually be detrimental in the long run.