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EspañolBryce Eldridge has Gold Glove aspirations as he battles for Giants roster spot originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SCOTTSDALE — The infield drills at Scottsdale Stadium on Monday morning were a bit more animated than usual, as new Giants manager Tony Vitello teamed up with third base coach Hector Borg to hit the grounders while infield coach Ron Washington gave constant encouragement and advice. When the work was over, Washington made a beeline for young first baseman Bryce Eldridge, who had alternated reps with Rafael Devers.
“I think that might have been my best day yet,” Eldridge said.
Washington nodded and patted Eldridge on the shoulder.
“It was,” he said. “Don’t go down. We’ll keep going up.”
For Eldridge, that is always the plan anyway.
The 21-year-old has always been confident, which makes sense given the fact that he has been the most dangerous hitter on the field in nearly every game he has ever played. Eldridge has the raw power to lead MLB in homers one day and the overall hitting talent to be an All-Star or MVP candidate, but his aspirations are just as grand on the defensive end.
During an interview for the “Giants Talk” podcast, Eldridge smiled when asked about Washington’s desire to work him so hard that his legs are burning after taking grounders.
“He definitely kicks our butt a little bit out there and gets the legs fired up,” Eldridge said. “But down the road, when hopefully I’m winning Gold Gloves with this team, I’m going to look back on it and say it’s all worth it.”
For now, Eldridge might have to break into the big leagues as a designated hitter because of the presence of Devers. Giants officials think Devers, a long time third baseman, has the footwork and instincts to turn into a Gold Glove-caliber first baseman himself.
With Eldridge, they’re trying to play catchup given how new the position is, but he’s aiming high. The goal is to one day be elite.
“Oh for sure, for sure. That’s something that — obviously the hitting side of it, I’ve got goals there — but I set goals out once I got here and realized that I was far behind defensively and I knew I had some work to be done,” Eldridge said. “That’s definitely been a goal of mine one day to win a Gold Glove. I know I’m athletic enough, I know I’m going to work hard enough to try to do it. Having Wash around now is giving me more confidence to try and do that one day.”
On paper, at least, Eldridge has the tools to be well above average at first. At 6-foot-7, he’ll be the tallest target in the league, and while sprint speed will never be the thing that jumps off his Baseball Savant page, he moves around well for his size. As a former pitcher, he’ll bring a good arm to the position when it’s needed.
Washington said Eldridge has been putting in all the necessary reps early in camp. He believes the prospect can reach his lofty goals if he continues to grow. Thus far, the focus has mostly been on using his legs more to be in a better position as he crouches and reaches for balls.
“We’re out there making sure that he learns how to get into his legs,” Washington said. “Every day that he leaves from (the infield) he’s complaining about how his legs are burning, and I let him know, ‘They’re burning because you’re doing everything right.’ It’s going to come to the point where you’re not going to feel that, and when you stop feeling that, you’re going to be one of the best first basemen in the game, when you stop feeling that.
“He’s working. He’s a very hard worker and he’s got a good work ethic. He wants to be good, and that’s the key. The word ‘want,’ and he wants it.”
Eldridge said he feels “miles better” at first than he did last spring. He works on his feet every day, and the strength coaches are fond of pulling out the agility ladder to try and get him to be a little quicker.
“I think I’m just really getting comfortable with my footwork,” Eldridge said of the difference year over year. “I think a lot of guys will tell you once your footwork gets cleaned up the glove hand gets cleaned up a lot. That feels true with me.”
There is still a long way for Eldridge to go, and there’s no guarantee he’ll even be on the big league roster on Opening Day. Some in the front office would prefer that he get more time in Triple-A, and that’s understandable. Eldridge has fewer than 1,000 at-bats in the minors, and there are adjustments to be made on both sides of the ball.
Vitello, who unsuccessfully tried to recruit the Vienna, Virginia, native to Tennessee a few years ago, has not tipped his hand one way or another. But it’s clear the Giants are going to get every data point they can this spring before making what likely will be their most scrutinized decision ahead of the March 25 opener against the New York Yankees.
Eldridge has played in all five spring games and is second on the team in plate appearances to Jung Hoo Lee, who is trying to quickly get ready for the World Baseball Classic. In Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Eldridge hit his first homer of the spring, raising his OPS to 1.205 over the first week of action.
Even if Eldridge wins a spot, there will be another significant hurdle in his bid to become one of the league’s best first basemen. Devers also is getting better day by day, and the 29-year-old is signed through 2033. He’ll almost certainly be the starter at first on Opening Day, and if his preference continues to be playing the field — something he has said multiple times — it may be years before the Giants truly need Eldridge on the dirt every night.
With that in mind, Vitello asked Eldridge to take fly balls earlier this spring, and he continues to work on the corner outfield spots. He wants to be great at first, but he also knows that moving around — and DHing often — might be the easiest path to a lineup spot every night in 2026.
If there’s any sort of rivalry forming at first, it hasn’t shown. Eldridge said his combination with Devers will “be dangerous” at the plate, and he noted that the veteran has helped him quite a bit this spring as they both have worked to improve.
“He’s been great to me at first base,” Eldridge said. “He’s cracking jokes, making it fun out there when sometimes it gets difficult. He’s picking me up if I have a bad day on defense or in the cage. I’m excited to keep getting to know him and to keep playing with him and keep doing some damage in the order.”