SF Giants middle infielder see notable jump in MLB Pipeline's preseason prospect rankings

On Friday night, MLB Pipeline published its new top 100 preseason prospect list for 2026. The Giants had two prospects make the list, including Josuar Gonzalez seeing a notable jump to No. 44.

SF Giants middle infielder see notable jump in MLB Pipeline's preseason prospect rankings

Bryce Eldridge came in at No. 25, which was one spot below his preseason ranking from last season. He made his debut with the club at the end of 2025. Despite recording just three hits in 28 at-bats, he made plenty of loud contact.

With Eldridge, the raw power he displayed was real and there might even be room for growth as the 21-year-old hitter continues to develop.

Across three minor league affiliates last year, the left-handed bat posted an .843 OPS with 25 home runs and 84 RBI in 433 plate appearances. He led Giants minor leaguers in home runs.

Eldridge is aiming to make the Opening Day roster. The Giants have not necessarily committed to that idea yet, but they also have not added anyone who might block the power-hitting prospect. Of course, Rafael Devers took over at first base in the second half of last season. There are still plenty of at-bats at DH, so the Giants can pretty easily allocate playing time at first base and DH between the two players.

On the other hand, Josuar Gonzalez saw a bump up to No. 44 in the latest rankings. Gonzalez was not ranked last offseason, which is not surprising given that he had not played a pro game at that point. The same is true for Luis Hernández this time around. The Giants signed the middle infielder out of Venezuela earlier this month. He was viewed as the top prospect in this year's international free agency cycle, but he does not have any pro experience yet.

Gonzalez earned a $2,997,500 signing bonus out of the Dominican Republic. It represents one of the largest investments made by the organization through this channel. Gonzalez impressed in his first pro season, slashing .288/.404/.455 (129 wRC+) with four home runs, 24 RBI, and 52 runs in 228 plate appearances in the Dominican Summer League. This includes 33 steals in 38 chances.

Interestingly, Bed Badler and Carlos Collazo of Baseball America discussed Gonzalez in a podcast episode last month. They suggested that if Gonzalez was an eligible prospect in the 2025 draft, he would have been in consideration for the top pick. The Washington Nationals ended up taking Eli Willits with the No. 1 selection.

Eldridge and Gonzalez were the only two Giants prospects to make the list. When Baseball America released its top prospect list last week, the Giants had four players on the list, including Eldridge and Gonzalez.