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Why SF Giants should be encouraged despite slow start from Bryce Eldridge

His batting average does not tell the full story.
ByNick San Miguel|
Sep 16, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Sep 16, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The SF Giants called up their top prospect Bryce Eldridge after Dominic Smith got injured and he has gotten off to a slow start thus far. However, there is reason for optimism even though his batting average is not very high.

Eldridge may have just one hit in 18 at-bats which is easy to overreact to, but that does not tell the full story. He has five walks and has shown a very keen eye at the plate at times, laying off breaking balls and off-speed pitches below the zone.

SF Giants should remain optimistic on Bryce Eldridge despite slow start

He has also hit some balls that would have been home runs in other ballparks. He hit two balls in Arizona at Chase Field that actually would have been gone if hit at Oracle Park. Plus, he hit a bases-clearing double for his first big-league hit against the Dodgers.

The main optimism comes from how hard he has hit the ball when he has made contact. Entering Tuesday night's game, Eldridge's average exit velocity on batted balls was 100.6 miles per hour. He has an expected batting average of .231 and an expected slugging percentage of .637. It is obviously a small sample size but it shows that even if he is not getting base hits he is hitting the ball hard which bodes well going forward.

Of course, it has not all been perfect. He has struck out eight times in 24 plate appearances and definitely struck out at a high rate in the minor leagues. That may be an inevitable part of his game but he is just 20 years old so perhaps there is still time for him to adjust and cut down on the strikeouts as he becomes more accustomed to big league pitching.

Really, it does not matter at all what sort of numbers Eldridge puts up in this final week of the season. The fact that he is on the team getting at-bats and getting acclimated to the big leagues should pay dividends next year so the whole experience of the big leagues is not completely foreign to him.

In 2009 when Buster Posey was called up in September, he had just two hits in 17 at-bats so even if Eldridge does not do much the rest of this season he is in good company. Plus, he is showing plenty of promise with how hard he is hitting the ball so do not be surprised if his hits start to find some grass soon.

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