Top SF Giants prospect showing improvement in key plate discipline metric

Bryce Eldridge did not make the team out of camp, but he is putting in some good work with the Sacramento River Cats. The top SF Giants prospect has shown improvement in a key plate discipline metric by lowering his chase rate.

Top SF Giants prospect showing improvement in key plate discipline metric

Eldridge came into spring training with a chance at making the club. He put up respectable numbers, including an .830 OPS with one home run and six RBI in 50 Cactus League plate appearances.

This came with an alarming 38 percent strikeout rate. That is likely the detail that convinced the Giants that Eldridge would benefit from more time in Triple-A. The last thing the Giants want to do is shuttle him between San Francisco and Sacramento. They have done that with a few prospects in recent years, and it is just not great for their development.

The next time the Giants call up Eldridge, they want to be confident that he is ready. The left-handed bat is building a strong case.

When the Giants sent Eldridge down, they wanted him to work on his control of the strike zone. Bringing down the strikeout rate is one part of that, but staying in the zone is another. He has not been an overly aggressive hitter over the past couple of years, but limiting his chase rate helps bring value to the table.

The early returns are promising. Eldridge has a 23.4 percent chase rate, down from a 28.5 percent mark in Triple-A last season. His power is going to lead to a lot of pitchers throwing around the strike zone to avoid missing out over the plate. If he swings at it, then he is giving in to the pitcher's plan.

The problem with expanding the strike zone is that hitters put up worse numbers on pitches out of the zone. In the case of Eldridge, it might be better altogether if he swings through that pitch in the hopes of getting something better to hit.

The chase rate is an important metric because it is a good indicator of a hitter's feel for the strike zone. So far, Eldridge is commanding the strike zone in a way the Giants want to see from a young hitter. Plus, he should be able to turn that into a pretty healthy walk rate.

The results have been encouraging across the board for the 21-year-old prospect. He is hitting .360/.492/.520 (185 wRC+) with one home run, 13 RBI, and eight runs in 63 plate appearances with Sacramento. This includes a 15.9 percent walk rate, 30.2 percent strikeout rate, and .160 ISO.

Eldridge is going to strike out at a fairly high rate. However, he can offset that to some degree by hitting with power and reaching base at a high rate. In the early going, he is doing a lot of the latter.