The 2024 MLB season did not go according to plan for the San Francisco Giants.
After spending a lot of money in the offseason, hoping to build off of a strong finish to the 2023 campaign, they fell woefully short of expectations. Currently 77-79, they are going to miss the playoffs for the third straight year and seventh time out of the last eight.
While this season was a disappointment, the future does look bright for the franchise.
They have found an everyday contributor in the infield with shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald. Outfielder Heliot Ramos was named an All-Star. Third baseman Matt Chapman has been excellent and agreed to a multi-year extension in early September.
A strong nucleus is being built and sooner than later, another elite talent will be joining in on the fun.
Bryce Eldridge, the team’s first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, has been rapidly moving up the minor league system. A two-way prospect, he pitched and hit in his first taste of professional baseball.
But, this season, the Giants decided it would be best for him to concentrate on hitting. There are always risks to making such a decision, but it looks to have been the correct one.
The 19-year-old has been incredible, recording a slash line of .289/.372/.513 across 116 games with 23 home runs, 27 doubles, two triples, 90 RBI and six stolen bases.
That production has been good enough that Eldridge was named a finalist for the Minor League Baseball Hitting Prospect of the Year Award. Kristan Campbell of the Boston Red Sox and Deyvison De Los Santos of the Miami Marlins are the other finalists.
“The 6-foot-7 slugger started off at Single-A San Jose before earning a midseason promotion to High-A Eugene. He tore up the Northwest League for the better part of two months before spending the last few weeks in the upper Minors, ultimately reaching Triple-A as a 19-year-old. He became the youngest player in Double-A Richmond’s history to homer when he joined the Flying Squirrels, and was the youngest player at the Minors’ highest level at season’s end,” wrote Joe Trezza of MLB.com about the No. 50 overall ranked prospect who is No. 1 in the San Francisco system.
The second annual MiLB Awards Show will be held on September 30th at 9 p.m. ET on MLB Network. The winner of this award and several others will be announced during the show.
