The list of 6-foot-7 outfielders - or hitters at any position - in the major leagues is a short one. I’ve got the arm already, so I’m pumped to be out there.” “I’ve never played outfield, but I’m actually starting to get comfortable pretty quickly,” he said. His three-pitch mix is headlined by a mid-90s fastball, but he said he shut down his arm after the high-school season.Įldridge was primarily a first baseman when he played the field in high school, but the Giants will try him out in right field. He’s kind of a beast on the bump and also at the plate.”Įldridge said he will report to the Giants’ rookie league squad in Arizona on Thursday, though he wasn’t sure if he’ll get on the mound right away. “The two-way player stuff is fascinating to me, just as a fan of the game,” he said. And, like 2022 first-round pick Reggie Crawford, the Giants will allow him to attempt to pitch and hit in the pros. In case you haven’t caught on yet, Eldridge does both.
“Just seeing the physicality of him,” said Giants manager Gabe Kapler, “I imagine it was fairly intimidating for high school hitters in Virginia to see that arm coming at you.” Growing up in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, Eldridge was so imposing from a young age that other parents, she said, would demand that he come out of the game when their kid came to bat. It’s no wonder why his mom, Beth, was forced to bring his birth certificate with her to his Little League games.
“He’s a big boy,” said Blake Sabol, who shared the cage with him and is not exactly undersized himself. His introduction to Oracle Park, taking batting practice, visiting with current and former players, even getting a locker in the Giants’ clubhouse, was “a dream come true,” he said.īut it was just as otherworldly to see an 18-year-old, not two months removed from his high-school graduation, tower over everyone else in the building. The Giants’ first-round pick was able to get situated, with maybe a few inches separating the top of his 6-foot-7 frame from the roof of the dugout. SAN FRANCISCO - Taking a seat on the top ledge of the bench in the third-base dugout Wednesday, Bryce Eldridge gave the gathered media a glimpse into his everyday reality.
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