Giants to promote top prospect amid playoff push

Why is Bryce Eldridge being called up now?

Just over two weeks ago, it was reported that the Giants were unlikely to call up Eldridge this year, but a few things have changed since then. In late August, it seemed like the Giants were playing out the string on a lost season. They had sold at the deadline and were about seven games back of a playoff spot as August was winding down.

Eldridge was putting up good-not-great numbers in Triple-A. They could have called him up for a few big league at-bats, but he hasn’t even turned 21 years old yet and wasn’t really forcing the issue. If they had added him, they would have had to keep him on the roster through the winter. Keeping him in Triple-A would have afforded the club an extra roster spot through the offseason, since he wasn’t going to be Rule 5 eligible until December 2027.

But as mentioned, the picture has shifted. The Giants have played better of late as the Mets have fallen apart. That leaves San Francisco just 1.5 games back of a playoff spot now, with two weeks left in the regular season. A couple of days ago, they lost first baseman Dominic Smith to a hamstring strain, which pushed him onto the injured list.

Eldridge has also been in pretty good form lately. Since the reporting that he was likely not going to be called up, he has taken 78 more plate appearances at the Triple-A level. He hit four home runs in that span and drew walks at a 10.3 percent clip. His 28.2 percent strikeout rate in that stretch is still high, but his .294/.372/.559 line translates to a 132 wRC+, even in the hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League.

Put it all together, and it’s easy to see the appeal for the Giants. They have somehow found themselves with a real shot at cracking the postseason. Eldridge has long been one of their top prospects and could help them make a push. 

The injury to Smith opened a path for him. Promoting Eldridge now will mean the club has one less roster spot to use in the winter, but that’s a small price to pay for the potential short-term benefits.

Where does Bryce Eldridge fit into San Francisco Giants rotation?

In the weeks before Smith’s injury, the Giants had a three-man rotation for the first base and designated hitter spots. Rafael Devers was playing every day, alternating between DH and first base. It’s been less than two months since he’s been a first baseman, so it seems the Giants have been gradually getting him accustomed to that spot. 

Smith and Wilmer Flores were essentially platooning in the other slot, with the lefty-hitting Smith in there against righties and the righty-swinging Flores against lefties. One of them would be at first or DH, depending on where Devers was.

Eldridge hits from the left side and could perhaps take up the role that Smith was in previously. Eldridge doesn’t have huge splits here in 2025, with a .258/.333/.515 line against righties and .270/.330/.494 against lefties, but there was a stark difference in 2024. 

Last year, he had a .319/.406/.584 line with the platoon advantage, but a .211/.272/.316 line otherwise. The improvements this year are very encouraging, but the Giants might still shield him from lefties as they play competitive games for the next two weeks.

On the other hand, Flores had oddly reverse splits this year. He has a .223/.277/.362 line and 79 wRC+ against southpaws but a .248/.322/.383 line and 102 wRC+ otherwise. His career splits are more tilted toward the norm, as he has been slightly better against lefties, but he hasn’t been crushing them lately.

One way or another, Eldridge should be in there somewhere. It would be odd for the Giants to call him up just for a bench role, so they presumably plan on him getting somewhat regular playing time. He does have some right field experience in the minors, but not since 2023. 

He has been exclusively a first baseman since the start of 2024. In the long run, he and Devers will presumably be sharing first base and the DH spot in some form. Devers is signed through 2033, while Eldridge will still have six seasons of club control beyond this one.

Since he only plays first base, Eldridge has a slightly lesser ceiling than a player who can cover a premium defensive spot, but he’s so good at the plate that he’s still a consensus top 30 prospect in the league. There’s not enough time remaining in the 2025 season for him to exhaust rookie eligibility, so he will still populate those prospect lists going into 2026, even if he is eventually part of a deep postseason run this year. 

By maintaining rookie status going into 2026, he will be eligible for the prospect promotion incentive. That means he could earn the Giants an extra draft pick if he cracks next year’s Opening Day roster and then meets certain awards voting criteria.