Giants call up top prospect Bryce Eldridge in hopes of power boost

The San Francisco Giants are promoting their top prospect, Bryce Eldridge, to the majors on Monday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Eldridge got his first taste of the major leagues last season with the Giants but struggled, going 3-for-28 with two doubles and 13 strikeouts in 10 games played, hitting a poor .107 batting average. He was expected to be the everyday starting first baseman for the Giants to begin the season, but in a surprising move, the swing-and-miss propensity in his bat prompted the Giants to send him down to the minors to begin the season to work on making better contact. 

The 6-foot-7 first baseman is currently swinging a hot bat at Triple-A, slashing a .333 batting average with five home runs and 22 RBI through his first 30 games. Showing better discipline at the plate, Eldridge looks to have found his swing and appears ready for the major leagues.

The Giants, whose record sits at 13-21 and are in last place in the NL West, are currently in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Struggling to find some offense, they figure it is the right time to call up their top prospect.

Bryce Eldridge might just be what the Giants are missing

The 21-year-old Eldridge brings some excitement to a Giants team that desperately needs it. The No. 1-ranked prospect in the Giants organization and the No. 20 prospect overall, Eldridge brings light-tower power to a team that ranks dead last in home runs in all of baseball. 

The power upside, however, does come with some swing and miss in his bat. Even with the much improved plate discipline he's shown thus far, he'll need to make the adjustment when facing major league pitching. Some struggles are to be expected as so often happens with young prospects. 

If Eldridge provides the power bat they need, though, the Giants will gladly take it as they try to turn their season around. Eldridge will now look to stay up in the majors, and this time for good.