Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. First Brock Purdy, now Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels and J.J. McCarthy. I can’t believe how many starting quarterbacks are already out injured.
In today’s SI:AM:
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No pressure, kid
Six weeks after they were sellers at the trade deadline, the Giants suddenly find themselves back in playoff contention—and they’re taking a big swing in hopes of securing that coveted final wild-card spot.
San Francisco was spiraling as the deadline approached, losing six in a row and 12 out of its last 14 games immediately before the July 31 deadline. The Giants were 54–55 on deadline day, six games behind the Padres (60–49) for the NL’s final playoff spot. With their playoff hopes looking slim, the Giants traded three core players (outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and relievers Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval). In mid-August, they lost 10 out of 12 games and fell to 61–68 on the year, 7 ½ games out of the last playoff spot.
But the combination of a Giants’ hot streak and the Mets’ freefall has San Francisco (and a couple of other teams) right back in contention. Even after losing their last three, the Giants are 75–75, two games behind the Mets. Adding to the excitement is the fact that the Giants just called up the top prospect in their system to help with the playoff push.
Bryce Eldridge, a 20-year-old first baseman with Aaron Judge-like size at 6'7", 240 pounds, was the Giants’ first-round pick in the 2023 draft. He rocketed through the farm system, advancing from Class A all the way to Triple A in his first full professional season last year. This year, he hit a combined 25 homers in 102 games across Double A and Triple A.
The Giants needed to call someone up from the minors after first baseman Dominic Smith was placed on the injured list with a right hamstring strain on Saturday, and the team decided to go with Eldridge and his big left-handed bat. The current plan is to have Eldridge serve as a designated hitter, while Rafael Devers and Wilmer Flores share the first base duties.
Making your big league debut in the heat of a playoff race is a pressure-packed situation, but Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey believes Eldridge can handle it.
“There weren’t any [reservations] for me,” Posey said. “I think it’s a credit to Bryce and his maturity level. Getting to watch him this spring and then watching him this year and in the interactions I’ve had with him, I think he has the type of personality where he’ll probably embrace this environment. He’s not going to be a guy who’s going to shy away from having some really big at-bats for us.”
It was a bit of a strange debut for Eldridge. He found out he was getting called up to the majors while going through security at the airport in Oklahoma City on Sunday night as he and the rest of his Sacramento River Cats teammates prepared to fly home after a series in OKC. He instead hopped a flight to Phoenix to meet the Giants for their series opener against the Diamondbacks, but his bag of baseball gear was already on the plane to Sacramento. Luckily, Eldridge had some cleats, bats and batting gloves stashed in his car, which was parked at the Giants’ spring training facility in Phoenix. Using his backup gear, Eldridge went 0-for-3 in his MLB debut, although he did crush a ball 106 mph off the bat to dead center in the seventh inning that would have been a home run in 23 of MLB’s 30 ballparks.
“He looks good up there,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “Had some good swings. Too bad he didn’t get the one hit there but certainly he didn’t look like he was overmatched. Didn’t look nervous. I’m sure there were some nerves there but he looks pretty hitterish at the plate.”
The Giants lost the game, 8–1, but they’re still in the thick of what’s shaping up to be a great race for the final playoff spot. The D-Backs, who had fallen even farther out of contention than the Giants had (nine games back on deadline day), are now just a game-and-a-half behind the Mets. The Reds are also hanging around, tied with the Giants at 75–75, two games behind New York.
The best of Sports Illustrated
- Gilberto Manzano writes that this version of the Chargers feels built to go further with Justin Herbert playing at an MVP level and the defense dominating.
- The Buccaneers’ gamble on rookie WR Emeka Egbuka is already paying off, with his third touchdown in two weeks helping fuel Tampa Bay’s narrow win in Houston, writes Matt Verderame.
- The Lions proved their playoff mettle with a dominating win that showed they still belong among the league’s Super Bowl contenders, writes Conor Orr in SI’s latest NFL power rankings.
- Pat Forde says it’s a prove-it weekend in college football, as several unbeaten teams face their first true tests with playoff stakes and conference races on the line.
- With Clemson fading, the ACC’s playoff hopes now hinge on Georgia Tech, Miami and Florida State, who all rise in this week’s College Football Playoff projection.
- The Champions League returns today—here are the USMNT players set to compete in the tournament.
- Manchester United legend Paul Scholes probably speaks for United fans everywhere when he calls decision making at the club “criminal.”
The top five…
… things I saw last night:
5. Nine strikeouts by Blue Jays prospect Trey Yesavage in his MLB debut. That’s a franchise record for strikeouts in a debut.
4. Ashton Jeanty running right over a defender for a first down.
3. An amazing defensive play by Maxx Crosby to burst through the line and force a turnover by hitting Omarion Hampton before he could even secure the handoff.
2. Justin Herbert’s 60-yard touchdown bomb to Quentin Johnson.
1. Kyle Schwarber’s 53rd home run of the year to open the scoring against the Dodgers. The Phillies went on to win in extra innings and clinch the NL East.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as SI:AM | Giants Call Up Top Prospect Amid Playoff Push.