MLB Draft: SF Giants select 1B/RHP Bryce Eldridge with 16th overall pick

The SF Giants selected prep two-way prospect Bryce Eldridge with the 16th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Marc Delucchi | Jul 9, 2023

MLB Draft: SF Giants select 1B/RHP Bryce Eldridge with 16th overall pick /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants selected 1B/RHP Bryce Eldridge with the 16th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia. Eldridge was considered the best two-way prospect in this year's class marking the second consecutive year the Giants had selected the best two-way prospect after drafting Reggie Crawford last year.

With a towering 6'7'' frame, Eldridge has a unique combination of strength and athleticism. On the mound, he has showcased a sinker that has reached the mid-90s with a good feel for a slider and changeup, alongside a fairly consistent ability to throw strikes.

At the plate, Eldridge has massive power potential and has flashed defensive viability at first base. If he were solely a pitcher or hitter, Eldridge would have still remained a top-two-round prospect by most evaluators.

It's unclear whether the Giants will be able to create any slot savings with Eldridge, who is committed to Alabama. He generally ranked around 15-20 by most public-facing big boards. However, the Giants have prioritized early-round savings in the past. The slot for the pick is valued at $4.3266 million, although slots dip below $3.5 million by the 22nd overall pick. So, it's possible that Eldridge agreed to take a signing bonus in tye $3.5-$4 million range.

The SF Giants have two more selections on Day 1 of the MLB Draft, and will look to add even more talent after selecting Bryce Eldridge.

Published Jul 9, 2023

MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).