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Giants' Bryce Eldridge is making a definitive statement originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Bryce Eldridge has always hit.
And so when the San Francisco Giants were hesitating to give Eldridge a real chance even as their bats slumped late last season and early this season, it was fair to wonder if they knew something we didn't know.
Turns out, Eldridge still hits, even against MLB pitching, and quite well.
He had that heroic walk-off grand slam earlier this week, but he's not a one-hit wonder.
The 6-foot-7 lefty hitter is batting .316 with five home runs and a .959 OPS. He's looking like a foundational piece of a batting order for years to come.
Sure, the Giants have to figure things out positionally with Rafael Devers and Eldridge essentially having the same defensive possibilities.
But when a bat works like Eldridge's does, you figure out the rest of it.
MORE: A walk-off home run in an MLB debut, truly a dream come true
Eldridge had given the Giants a tiny cause for concern at the end of last season when he was first promoted and went just 3-for-28. That was a small sample size, though, and some inconsistent playing time in a first stint in the major leagues is not a great way to know what someone is made of.
The slugger's long track record of being dominant at the plate, dating to his amateur days and throughout the minor leagues, was always going to be what mattered more.
Some guys are just made to hit. Eldridge is one of those guys.
The Giants, while having a lot of players with conceptual talent, haven't hit as much as you'd think in recent years.
Now, though, they've added one of the most naturally gifted hitters in their organization to essentially the everyday lineup. It's unlikely Eldridge will sit much in the decade ahead.
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