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 general in 2023 out of Vienna, Virginia’s James Madison Excessive College, the 6-foot-7 first baseman tasks, within the phrases of Eric Longenhagen, as “a middle-of-the-order drive.”
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 youngster. 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 of 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 massive leagues. With my energy and dimension, and I’ve a brief swing, it makes probably the most sense.”
Longenhagen has cited the size of the slugger’s swing, saying that it appears comparatively quick to the baseball given his dimension. In response to Eldridge, the directness of his stroke is each god-given and honed.
“Rising up, I sort of had a pure, candy lefty swing,” he advised me. “As I saved getting greater I needed to maintain working at it, working with my coaches again dwelling, engaged on attempting to remain quick. Consistency is the largest key, particularly for a man my dimension. The extra I can keep in keeping with that stroke, the higher it is going to be.”
And should you’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 fairly full hitter, though the strikeout numbers [132 this season] would possibly level to me being an influence hitter. Having 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 aim 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 once they toss stuff in his glad zone.
“If I can solidify my method, I can do extra injury,” mentioned Eldridge. “What I need 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 towards Lum Harris.
Crimson Rolfe went 0 for 13 towards Mickey Harris.
Brendan Harris went 10 for 21 towards Jon Lester.
Lenny Harris went 15 for 35 towards Jose Rijo.
Dave Harris went 24 for 54 towards 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 appeared again at a pitch that went horribly awry.
“It was to [Lourdes] Gurriel, with Arizona,” Holderman advised me. “I didn’t need to go cutter — I knew it in my head — they usually put down cutter. I used to be like, ‘You understand 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 imagined to be away — and he homered about 400 toes down the road. It was a horrible pitch. It was one which ought to be hit within the massive leagues. Very far.”
Perusing video to evaluate his lack of execution wasn’t tempting to the underrated right-hander.
“As a reliever throwing daily, I attempt to begin contemporary and probably not look again,” defined Holderman, who got here out of the Pirates pen 59 occasions 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 dangerous 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 steer the American League in wins six occasions, and in strikeouts 12 occasions. Who was it?
The reply may 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 received simply six of 16 choices. 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 total 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 among his duties. Bob Costas, who known as his first recreation for NBC in 1980, introduced this week that he’ll now 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 data in terms of 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. Take into account this one other.
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A random obscure former participant snapshot:
MLB historical past contains 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 coloration). 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 received 4 straight towards the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks to seize NPB’s best-of-seven Japan Sequence. The BayStars outscored the Hawks 27-2 during the last 4 video games, together with 11-2 in at this time’s clincher. It was Yokohama’s first championship in 26 years
The Kia Tigers received this 12 months’s Korean Sequence, 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 accomplished so since 2019. The five-member committee reportedly narrowed its selections 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 embody:
Tomoyuki Sugano, who is predicted to be pitching for an MLB group 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 components baked into the {qualifications} pie embody 15 wins, a .600 successful proportion, 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 , we want them to enhance their efficiency a little bit extra.”
The identical could be mentioned for Tsuneo Horiuchi. Instances change. That the sport isn’t the precisely identical 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 general 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 general 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 wanting again at his days as a younger Twins fan rising up in St. Paul, Minnesota. Left on the cutting-room flooring 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 truly know a couple of of the blokes 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 awakened not figuring out what was going to occur. I had a draft occasion, 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 ultimate 12 months in Baltimore? In response to his must-read autobiography, Dewey: Behind the Gold Glove, the opposite alternative 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 obtained 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 occasions 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 could be coming to an finish, so within the ultimate week of the common season he requested if it could be potential for him to formally say goodbye to the followers who had cheered him on for practically twenty 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 among three Crimson Sox outfielders could be a superb commerce goal for Pirates GM Ben Cherington.
MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy introduced us with issues we have to know concerning the Milwaukee Brewers offseason, together with key dates, pending 40-man and non-tender choices, the payroll state of affairs, and extra.
Additionally at MLB.com, Sarah Langs gave us a dozen eye-popping stats from a thriller of a Recreation 5 World Sequence clincher.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Aaron Decide and Shohei Ohtani mixed to go 6-for-37 with one dwelling run on this 12 months’s World Sequence. 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 Sequence.
Dave Roberts has a 56-44 managerial file within the postseason. Bruce Bochy has a 57-37 managerial file 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 proportion. Joey Votto had 8,746 plate appearances, 1,640 strikeouts, and a .511 slugging proportion.
John Mayberry had 1,379 hits and 20 stolen bases.
Otis Nixon had 1,379 hits and 620 stolen bases.
On at this time’s date in 2009, George W. Bush threw out the primary pitch earlier than Recreation 3 of the Japan Sequence, The Tokyo Yomiuri Giants went on to beat the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 7-4.
On at this time’s date in 2001, Randy Johnson went seven robust innings because the Arizona Diamondbacks routed the New York Yankees 15-2 in World Sequence Recreation 6. The Massive Unit got here out of the bullpen the next night time and obtained credit score for the win because the D-Backs captured Recreation 7 on a walk-off single by Luis Gonzalez.
Gamers born on at this time’s date embody 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 this time’s date was Homer Summa, who batted .302 and went deep 18 occasions 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 complete 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.
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