SF Giants top prospect Bryce Eldridge has been on fire in Triple-A. He just ripped a double off Roki Sasaki, one of the biggest offseason acquisitions for the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the minors.
It was an impressive swing of the bat as he took a 98 mile per hour fastball the other way into the opposite field gap for an easy stand up double.
SF Giants top prospect Bryce Eldridge rips double off Dodgers phenom Roki Sasaki
It is cool to see these two young players face off in the minors because it would not be a huge surprise if they end up seeing a lot of each other in the big leagues someday. Eldridge is the top prospect in the Giants organization and the hope is that he is going to be a dependable power-hitting left-handed bat in the middle of their order for years to come.
Sasaki was signed by the Dodgers in the offseason which came as no surprise to anyone given two other star Japanese players, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, signed with the Dodgers in recent years. Sasaki has eight appearances with the Dodgers this season but he is currently in the minors on a rehab assignment as he tries to recover from a shoulder injury he sustained back in May.
He is just 23 years old and has a lot of promise. He has a high velocity fastball and is obviously still learning all the intricacies of pitching in the big leagues so he has a very high ceiling. The Giants were very much in on him in the offseason but it felt inevitable that he would end up with the Dodgers.
With Eldridge being just 20 years old, the two could definitely face off against each other a lot over the years. Both have an insane amount of promise so there is a world in which Eldridge becomes the most dangerous hitter in San Francisco’s lineup and Sasaki eventually becomes the ace of Los Angeles’ starting rotation.
For Giants fans hoping to see Eldridge in the big leagues this season, they may have to hold their breath. He has put up good numbers and has 24 total home runs across Double-A and Triple-A. Yet, president of baseball operations Buster Posey has thrown cold water on the idea of promoting Eldridge this season.
Even if it is not this season, expect to see these two square off a lot over the years. If this one at-bat can provide any sort of overreaction, maybe in a perfect world Eldridge will end up owning Sasaki and will help the Giants overtake the Dodgers in the NL West.
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