It\u2019s\u00a0only a matter of time until McCovey Cove starts seeing an influx of splash hits.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Giants prospect\u00a0Bryce Eldridge<\/a>, who ranks No. 25 on MLB Pipeline\u2019s Top 100 Prospects list, was\u00a0named the best power hitter<\/a>\u00a0of the group\u00a0by\u00a0MLB.com\u2019s\u00a0Jim Callis.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEldridge has all the ingredients to produce top-of-the-scale raw power: a quick left-handed swing designed to launch balls in the air, plus huge strength and leverage in his massive 6-foot-7 frame,\u201d Callis wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n The description of the highly touted prospect is nothing that the Giants\u2019 front office\u00a0and fans\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0already know.\u00a0<\/p>\n Eldridge has raked in the minor leagues, hitting 18 home runs in 253 at-bats over 66 games played in Triple-A.\u00a0He averaged 14.06 at-bats per home run, the second-best rate for hitters in the Pacific Coast League with at least 200 plate appearances.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 20-year-old made his MLB debut\u00a0after a late-season call-up in September. He\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0splashy at the plate\u00a0immediately, but president of baseball operations\u00a0Buster Posey saw plenty of promise<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n “You could see some swing and\u00a0miss,\u00a0he hit the ball hard,\u201d Posey told NBC Sports Bay Area\u2019s Alex Pavlovic in October. \u201cI was impressed at some of his takes.\u00a0I thought he did a nice job against some really tough pitchers.\u00a0It’s\u00a0a big jump…\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0“…It’s exciting to have a guy that you know there’s\u00a0tremendous\u00a0upside. I know he\u00a0knows,\u00a0and we all know there’s a lot of room for growth\u00a0still,\u00a0and we’re excited to keep watching that.”\u00a0<\/p>\n In Eldridge\u2019s 10 games played in his late-season stint at the major-league level, the left-handed power hitter notched just three hits\u00a0in 28 at-bats. Two of those hits were\u00a0doubles, but\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0still looking for his\u00a0first major-league home run.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite the low batting average, his average exit velocity of\u00a095.6 mph lands among\u00a0baseball\u2019s best power hitters. For comparison,\u00a0the top two home run leaders for the National League, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder\/designated hitter\u00a0Kyle Schwarber<\/a>\u00a0and Los Angeles Dodgers\u00a0designated\u00a0hitter\u00a0Shohei Ohtani<\/a>, ended the season with average exit velocities of 94.3 mph and 94.9 mph, respectively.\u00a0<\/p>\n