Every Draft class has a fair share of interesting two-way players, with it typically being fairly clear whether that player’s future lies on the mound or in the batter’s box. There were some spirited discussions over the summer with Eldridge, however, with the Virginia high school product excelling both as a pitcher and a hitter on the summer showcase circuit, including as part of USA Baseball’s gold medal-winning team at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup, though it looked like the industry was leaning more toward him as a hitter during his senior season.
Eldridge shook off the rust from having missed time, especially on the mound, due a hamstring injury as a high school junior, to show off legitimate ability both ways. On the mound, he shows feel for three pitches, with a fastball up to 95-96 mph, a very effective low-80s slider and the chance to have a solid changeup. He’s athletic on the mound and is generally around the strike zone, repeating his delivery well despite his 6-foot-7 frame.
At the plate, the left-handed hitter has some serious raw power with leverage but has some feel to hit, with a relatively short stroke. He has soft hands at first base and moves around the bag well, though he is athletic enough with a plus arm where right field could be a very viable option for the University of Alabama recruit.
Eldridge won USA Baseball's Dick Case Award as its top player in 2022, when he starred as both a hitter and pitcher while winning a gold medal at the 18-and-under World Cup, and he was the best two-way talent in the 2023 Draft. An ankle injury limited him on the mound as a high school senior but didn't stop him from leading Madison HS (Vienna, Va.) to its second state Class 6 title in three seasons. Signed for $3,997,500 as the 16th overall pick, he advanced from Single-A to Triple-A at age 19 in his first full pro season, earned top prospect honors in the High-A Northwest League and led all Minor League teenagers in homers (23) and slugging (.516) while ranking second in OPS (.885) and fifth in wRC+ (137).
Despite his youth, Eldridge produced better exit velocities than most Minor Leaguers last season. He has an exceptionally quick left-handed swing and plenty of strength and leverage in his 6-foot-7 frame, earning top-of-the-scale grades for his raw power from many evaluators. He chased fastballs out of the zone and had contact issues against non-fastballs in Double-A and Triple-A, but fatigue may have been an issue, and he has plenty of time to make adjustments. He should hit for a decent average and draw his share of walks while challenging for home run titles in the Majors.
Eldridge has below-average speed but can flash solid run times under way and is more athletic than most players his size. After spending his pro debut in right field, he had a rough introduction to first base in 2024, committing 18 errors (mostly on fielding miscues and failed catches) in 100 games. He has a stronger arm than most at his position and displayed a 92-96 mph fastball and low-80s slider as an amateur.
The best two-way talent in the 2023 Draft, Eldridge won MVP honors at the 2022 18-and-under World Cup after homering and spinning a shutout inning in a gold-medal victory over Chinese Taipei. Though an ankle injury limited him on the mound last spring, he still continued to dominate both ways, carrying Madison HS (Vienna) to its second Virginia Class 6 title in three seasons and winning Gatorade’s state player of the year award. Signed for $3,997,500 as the 16th overall choice last July, he homered six times in 31 games and reached Single-A in his pro debut.
Eldridge’s raw power ranked among the best in the 2023 class and is his best attribute. He already hits the ball harder than most Minor Leaguers as a teenager, thanks to a quick left-handed stroke and the strength and leverage in his 6-foot-7 frame. He can crush the ball out of any part of the park and also shows some feel for hitting with a relatively compact swing for his size and a disciplined approach.
Despite his below-average speed, Eldridge is more athletic than most players his size. He spent his first pro summer in right field before moving to first base, where he displays soft hands and plus arm strength and should provide at least average defense. He was interested in trying to play both ways as a pro after showing a 92-94 mph fastball that peaked at 96 and flashing a solid low-80s slider as an amateur, but the Giants are going to have him focus solely on hitting.
The top two-way prospect in the 2023 Draft, Eldridge was named MVP of the 2022 18-and-under World Cup, where he homered and threw a shutout inning in the gold-medal victory over Chinese Taipei. An ankle injury hampered him on the mound as a senior, yet he continued to dominate as both a hitter and pitcher while leading James Madison HS (Vienna) to its second state Class 6 title in three years. Gatorade's Virginia high school player of the year, he signed with the Giants for $3,997,500 as the 16th overall pick in the Draft.
Eldridge's best attribute is his huge raw power, which ranked as some of the best in the 2023 Draft. He has a quick left-handed swing and plenty of strength and leverage in his 6-foot-7 frame, allowing him to drive the ball out of the park to all fields. He shows some feel for hitting as well, with a relatively compact swing, considering his long arms, and a patient approach.
Eldridge has below-average speed but is relatively athletic for his size. He has soft hands and plus arm strength at first base and might be able to handle an outfield corner. Though most teams preferred him as a hitter, he asked for the opportunity to try to play both ways in pro ball and the Giants will grant that wish. He can run his fastball up to 96 mph and shows flashes of a solid low-80s slider and a mid-80s change with mild fade.
These run values are leveraged, meaning the base/out situation at the time of the event does impact the run value (thus introducing context outside the batter's own contribution).
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's batted balls would have been out of other stadiums. The "Adjusted" view here accounts for different wall heights, distances and environmental effects using Statcast Park Factor data.
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2025
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2
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2
2
1
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1
1
3
1
1
2
1
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2
1
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2
2
1
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2
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2
Player
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2
0
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2
2
1
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1
2
1
1
3
1
1
2
1
3
2
1
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2
2
1
0
0
2
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2
Note: xHR tells how many of this player's batted balls would have been out of other stadiums. The "Standard" view here accounts for different wall heights and distances but excludes environmental effects. It is based purely on the observed trajectory of the hit.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift: three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about how positioning is defined here
