Bryce Eldridge is the highest prospect within the San Francisco Giants system thanks largely to the lethality of his power-packed left-handed stroke, an enviable asset that he augments with a affected person method. Drafted sixteenth total in 2023 out of Vienna, Virginia’s James Madison Excessive College, the 6-foot-7 first baseman initiatives, within the phrases of Eric Longenhagen, as “a middle-of-the-order power.”
What he completed in his first full skilled season means that our lead prospect analyst’s evaluation was spot-on. Starting the 12 months in Low-A and ending it in Triple-A, Eldridge slashed .289/.372/.513 with 23 dwelling runs and a 137 wRC+ over 519 plate appearances. Furthermore, he put up these numbers as a young person. Eldridge didn’t flip 20 till mid-October.
That he was drafted as a two-way participant is a part of his story. Whereas he hasn’t toed the rubber in a recreation since receiving his just-shy-of $4M signing bonus, the potential for his enjoying each methods was actually there. (Longenhagen was bearish on the thought, opining in his post-draft recap that the “two-way experiment ought to finally lead him to full-time hitting.”)
His potential as a pitcher was the primary topic I broached when talking to Edington on the Arizona Fall League, the place he’s suiting up for the Scottsdale Scorpions. Why is he now a hitter solely?
“I feel I undoubtedly may have competed as a pitcher, however my hitting was simply additional forward,” defined Eldridge. “I used to be projectable each methods — I’d say it was a cut up camp so far as groups’ curiosity— however hitting was the quickest choice for me to get to the large leagues. With my energy and dimension, and I’ve a brief swing, it makes essentially the most sense.”
Longenhagen has cited the size of the slugger’s swing, saying that it seems comparatively quick to the baseball given his dimension. In keeping with Eldridge, the directness of his stroke is each god-given and honed.
“Rising up, I type of had a pure, candy lefty swing,” he instructed me. “As I saved getting greater I needed to hold working at it, working with my coaches again dwelling, engaged on attempting to remain quick. Consistency is the most important key, particularly for a man my dimension. The extra I can keep in line with that stroke, the higher it will likely be.”
And if you happen to’re questioning, sure, he considers himself an influence hitter.
“For certain,” Eldridge replied when requested if he identifies as such. “I feel I’m a reasonably full hitter, though the strikeout numbers [132 this season] would possibly level to me being an influence hitter. With the ability to put the ball within the air is my recreation. If I can get it within the air, it flies.”
Eldridge attributes this season’s higher-than-ideal 25.4% strikeout charge principally to his getting used to the standard of the pitching as he steadily moved up the minor league ladder. A objective going ahead is to raised deal with elevated fastballs, as his “swing path is extra uphill,” leading to pitchers attacking him upstairs. However whereas having the ability to cowl the whole zone will make him a good greater problem, what opposing hurlers most must concern is what occurs after they toss stuff in his glad zone.
“If I can solidify my method, I can do extra injury,” mentioned Eldridge. “What I wish to do is lay of off those I ought to and crush the appropriate pitches within the air.”
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Atley Donald went 0 for six in opposition to Lum Harris.
Crimson Rolfe went 0 for 13 in opposition to Mickey Harris.
Brendan Harris went 10 for 21 in opposition to Jon Lester.
Lenny Harris went 15 for 35 in opposition to Jose Rijo.
Dave Harris went 24 for 54 in opposition to Rube Walberg.
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“What’s the worst pitch you’ve thrown this 12 months?’ is a query I posed to a number of pitchers over the course of the season, with the likes of Corbin Burnes and Tarik Skubal — to call simply two — sharing their responses for inclusion in earlier Sunday Notes. Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Colin Holderman is one other of those that regarded again at a pitch that went horribly awry.
“It was to [Lourdes] Gurriel, with Arizona,” Holderman instructed me. “I didn’t wish to go cutter — I knew it in my head — they usually put down cutter. I used to be like, ‘You realize what? The catcher noticed one thing I didn’t.’ It may need been the appropriate pitch, however I wasn’t totally convicted. I threw it, left it within the center — it was presupposed to be away — and he homered about 400 ft down the road. It was a horrible pitch. It was one which must be hit within the large leagues. Very far.”
Perusing video to evaluate his lack of execution wasn’t tempting to the underrated right-hander.
“As a reliever throwing day by day, I attempt to begin contemporary and probably not look again,” defined Holderman, who got here out of the Pirates pen 59 instances this 12 months and logged a 3.16 ERA over 51-and-a-third innings. “If I must pump my tires I’d have a look at the strikeouts, however the unhealthy ones… I imply, I’ll look that night time, however after I fall asleep, no. I don’t look again.”
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A quiz:
William Howard Taft was the primary U.S. President to throw out the primary pitch of an MLB season, doing so on April 14, 1910. Catching the primary pitch was a 22-year-old right-hander who proceeded to throw a one-hit shutout that day, then go on to guide the American League in wins six instances, and in strikeouts 12 instances. Who was it?
The reply might be discovered beneath.
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NEWS NOTES
The Miami Marlins have employed Joe Migliaccio as their new director of hitting (per MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola.) The Oral Roberts College graduate has been teaching within the New York Yankees system since 2019.
The San Francisco Giants have employed 41-year-old Zack Minasian as their new normal supervisor. The youthful brother of Los Angeles Angels GM Perry Minasian had been serving because the Giants’ VP {of professional} scouting.
Scott Hennessey would be the new supervisor of the Triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis Comets (the Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate performed because the Oklahoma Metropolis Baseball Membership this previous season). Hennessey strikes up from Tulsa, the place he managed the Double-A Drillers.
Ray Semproch, a right-handed pitcher whose modest big-league profession spanned the 1958-1961 seasons, died earlier this week at age 93. Nicknamed “Child,” the Cleveland native went 13-11 with the Philadelphia Phillies in his rookie season, after which he gained simply six of 16 selections. Semproch additionally noticed motion with the Detroit Tigers and the expansion-year Los Angeles Angels.
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The reply to the quiz is Walter Johnson, who spent his whole 21-year profession with the Washington Senators.
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A broadcast legend is retiring after four-plus a long time, albeit from solely one in every of his duties. Bob Costas, who referred to as his first recreation for NBC in 1980, introduced this week that he’ll not do baseball play-by-play, though he’ll proceed to share his insights at MLB Community. The latter is sweet information for followers of the nationwide pastime. Costas is a fount of information relating to the sport’s historical past, and whereas he has his detractors, his ardour for the game is plain. The 72-year-old, 2018 Ford C. Frick Award winner deserves each accolade he’s obtained. Think about this one other.
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A random obscure former participant snapshot:
MLB historical past consists of two gamers named John Kennedy, the second of whom, John Edward Kennedy, not solely was a big-league infielder from 1962-1974; he additionally shared a Could 29 birthday with former US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The primary had a far shorter, however no much less notable profession. On April 22, 1957, John Irvin Kennedy turned the primary African American participant in Philadelphia Phillies historical past (six days earlier, Cuban-born Chico Fernandez turned the franchise’s first participant of shade). Thirty years outdated when he debuted, Kennedy would seem in simply 5 video games with the NL membership, going hitless in every of his two at-bats. Previous to his cup of espresso with the Phillies, he performed for the Birmingham Black Barons and Kansas Metropolis Monarchs.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Yokohama DeNA BayStars misplaced the primary two video games, then gained 4 straight in opposition to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks to seize NPB’s best-of-seven Japan Collection. The BayStars outscored the Hawks 27-2 during the last 4 video games, together with 11-2 in at the moment’s clincher. It was Yokohama’s first championship in 26 years
The Kia Tigers gained this 12 months’s Korean Collection, beating the Samsung Tigers in 5 video games. Former FanGraphs contributor Sung Min Kim works in Kia’s Baseball Operations division.
Opening Day within the Australian Baseball League is November 15. The Adelaide Giants are the defending champions.
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The committee that selects NPB’s Sawamura Award winner — Japan’s equal to the Cy Younger — opted to not honor a pitcher this 12 months, the primary time they’ve performed so since 2019. The five-member committee reportedly narrowed its decisions to Kohei Arihara and Shosei Togo, however in the end decided that neither met the antiquated, if not absurd, unofficial standards.
How did the not-deemed-worthy-enough duo do that season?
Arihara went 14-7 with a 2.36 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 182-and-two-thirds innings. Togo went 12-8 with a 1.95 ERA and 156 strikeout in 180 innings.
In the meantime, a handful of different pitchers had arguably higher seasons. They embrace:
Tomoyuki Sugano, who is anticipated to be pitching for an MLB staff subsequent season, went 15-3 with a 1.67 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 156-and-two-thirds innings.
Hiroto Takahashi, who celebrated his twenty second birthday in August, went 12-4 with a 1.38 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 143-and-two-thirds innings.
Liván Moinelo, in his first 12 months as a starter after having dominated out of the bullpen, went 11-5 with a 1.88 ERA and 155 strikeouts in 163 innings.
With the caveat that NPB requirements aren’t MLB requirements, the concept nobody was deemed worthy strikes me as questionable. That the substances baked into the {qualifications} pie embrace 15 wins, a .600 profitable share, and 200 innings (a complete no NPB pitcher reached this 12 months) strongly means that dinosaurs are making the selections. The committee’s chairman, 76-year-old Japanese Baseball Corridor of Famer Tsuneo Horiuchi, was quoted as saying, “Within the present period, the place pitchers are better off, we want them to enhance their efficiency a little bit extra.”
The identical may be mentioned for Tsuneo Horiuchi. Occasions change. That the sport isn’t the precisely similar because it was in earlier generations shouldn’t be disrespected.
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FARM NOTES
Nick Kurtz has gone 8-for-18 with a house run since being assigned to the Arizona Fall League’s Mesa Photo voltaic Sox final weekend. Drafted fourth total this summer season out of Wake Forest College, the 21-year-old first baseman had a 1.283 OPS over 50 plate appearances between Low-A Stockton and Double-A Midland.
Jac Caglianone is slashing .262/.310/.446 with three dwelling runs in 65 plate appearances for the AFL’s Shock Saguaros. Drafted sixth total this summer season by the Kansas Metropolis Royals out of the College of Florida, the 21-year-old first baseman had a .690 OPS over 128 PAs with Excessive-A Quad Cities.
Josh Stephan has allowed eight hits and one run, with 17 strikeouts, in 16-and-two-thirds innings for the Saguaros. Signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Texas Rangers in 2020, the newly-turned 23-year-old right-hander had a 4.94 ERA over 58-and-a-third innings with Double-A Frisco.
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Drew Gilbert was featured right here at Sunday Notes two weeks in the past, with the highly-regarded New York Mets prospect trying again at his days as a younger Twins fan rising up in St. Paul, Minnesota. Left on the cutting-room ground from my Arizona Fall League dialog with Gilbert was his response to a query about his draft expertise. Two years in the past, the Houston Astros (who later traded him to the Mets) took Gilbert 4 picks after Boston chosen Mikey Romero. Had the Crimson Sox proven a lot curiosity?
“Actually. I didn’t have a lot contact with them,” mentioned Gilbert. “However I performed with Roman Anthony [whom Boston proceeded to take 79th overall] in journey ball, and I really know a number of of the fellows of their system. However once more, I by no means actually talked to the Crimson Sox. It’s loopy, as a result of on draft day I actually awoke not understanding what was going to occur. I had a draft celebration, hoping I used to be going to get chosen the primary day, however I had a smaller one simply in case I didn’t. I had no thought what to anticipate.”
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Dwight Evans completed his profession with the Orioles after 19 seasons with the Crimson Sox. Why did the should-be Corridor of Fame outfielder depart Boston and play one remaining 12 months in Baltimore? In keeping with his must-read autobiography, Dewey: Behind the Gold Glove, the opposite selection would have been to retire. After returning dwelling from Oakland the place the Crimson Sox had simply been eradicated within the 1990 ALCS, Evans was cleansing out his locker when he received phrase that Lou Gorman wished to see him upstairs. Upon arriving within the GM’s workplace, he was knowledgeable that his contract wasn’t going to be renewed. His storied tenure in Boston was over.
Evans went on to play in 101 video games in his lone season as an Oriole, logging a 122 wRC+ and going deep six instances in 329 plate appearances. With the Crimson Sox he had performed in 2,505 video games — second most in franchise historical past behind Carl Yastrzemski — with a 129 wRC+, 379 dwelling runs, and 64.3 WAR. He was additionally awarded eight Gold Gloves.
And there may be extra to the story. As recounted within the e book, Evans suspected that his time in Boston may be coming to an finish, so within the remaining week of the common season he requested if it may be attainable for him to formally say goodbye to the followers who had cheered him on for almost 20 years. The request was ignored. Evans deserved higher.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
Twinkie City’s Zack Koenig made a case for a shorter MLB season.
Pittsburgh Baseball Now’s John Perrotto wonders if one in every of three Crimson Sox outfielders may be a great commerce goal for Pirates GM Ben Cherington.
MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy offered us with issues we have to know in regards to the Milwaukee Brewers offseason, together with key dates, pending 40-man and non-tender selections, the payroll scenario, and extra.
Additionally at MLB.com, Sarah Langs gave us a dozen eye-popping stats from a thriller of a Sport 5 World Collection clincher.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Aaron Choose and Shohei Ohtani mixed to go 6-for-37 with one dwelling run on this 12 months’s World Collection. Mickey Mantle and Jackie Robinson mixed to go 6-for-32 with one dwelling run when the Dodgers defeated the Yankees within the 1955 World Collection.
Dave Roberts has a 56-44 managerial document within the postseason. Bruce Bochy has a 57-37 managerial document within the postseason.
Will Venable performed for the Arizona Fall League’s Peoria Saguaros in 2007. His teammates included Chris Coghlan, Tuffy Gosewisch, Nick Hundley, and Cameron Maybin.
Freddie Freeman has 8,736 plate appearances, 1,635 strikeouts, and a .512 slugging share. Joey Votto had 8,746 plate appearances, 1,640 strikeouts, and a .511 slugging share.
John Mayberry had 1,379 hits and 20 stolen bases.Otis Nixon had 1,379 hits and 620 stolen bases.
On at the moment’s date in 2009, George W. Bush threw out the primary pitch earlier than Sport 3 of the Japan Collection, The Tokyo Yomiuri Giants went on to beat the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 7-4.
On at the moment’s date in 2001, Randy Johnson went seven robust innings because the Arizona Diamondbacks routed the New York Yankees 15-2 in World Collection Sport 6. The Huge Unit got here out of the bullpen the next night time and received credit score for the win because the D-Backs captured Sport 7 on a walk-off single by Luis Gonzalez.
Gamers born on at the moment’s date embrace Ken Robinson, a right-hander who appeared in 29 video games throughout the 1995-1997 season whereas pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas Metropolis Royals. A local of Barberton, Ohio, Robinson was killed in an auto accident in February 1999 at age 29.
Additionally born on at the moment’s date was Homer Summa, who batted .302 and went deep 18 instances in 3,001 at-bats whereas enjoying for 3 groups, principally the Cleveland Indians, from 1920-1930. The Gentry, Missouri native’s given identify was Homer Wayne.
Homer Smoot batted .290 with 15 dwelling runs and 1,000 whole bases whereas enjoying for the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds in a profession that spanned the 1902-1906 seasons. The Galestown, Maryland native’s given identify was Homer Vernon.
