Sunday, October 26

Giants first basemen ranked last in the Majors with a .622 OPS this year, but the club fully expects to receive better production at the position in 2026. 

The reason is twofold: Between Rafael Devers and No. 1 prospect Bryce Eldridge, the Giants believe they have a pair of power hitters who have the potential to anchor their lineup for the foreseeable future. 

One question that remains unsettled, though, is how exactly the Giants plan to divide playing time between Devers and Eldridge at first base moving forward.

Both are relatively new to the position -- Devers is a natural third baseman who started the season as the Red Sox’s full-time designated hitter and then learned to play first base for the first time in his career after he was acquired by the Giants in mid-June; Eldridge (MLB Pipeline's No. 12 overall prospect) mostly split time between the mound and DH as a two-way player in high school, and he didn’t become an everyday first baseman until last year -- but they each looked comfortable playing defense down the stretch.

Devers got the bulk of the first-base reps after Eldridge broke into the Majors on Sept. 15, but president of baseball operations Buster Posey said the Giants will wait until Spring Training to determine how that dynamic will play out next year.

“I think we don’t get too far ahead with that one,” Posey said earlier this month. “I thought that Bryce -- I was really impressed. I thought he looked good at first. I know he’s been working his tail off to improve his defense. I thought Devers got more comfortable at first. It’s a good problem to have, to have two guys that you’re really excited about that are left-handed power bats.” 

Eldridge was initially brought up to serve as the Giants’ DH against right-handed pitching. He played only 34 innings at first base during his 10-game stint in the big leagues, but he’s probably the better bet to settle in as San Francisco's long-term first baseman. 

The Giants weren’t expecting to promote Eldridge this season, but they opted to after Dominic Smith went down with a right hamstring strain amid their late playoff push. Eldridge ended up going 3-for-28 (.107) with seven walks and 13 strikeouts in 37 plate appearances, though he flashed his tantalizing offensive potential by consistently making hard contact.

“The thing that I found most encouraging -- obviously, he didn’t get a ton of hits -- was that I did not feel that he looked overmatched, where the moment was too big, the stuff was too great,” vice president of player development Randy Winn said. “I thought he handled the zone really well. I thought that it seemed like he cut down some of the chase, which he had a little bit in the Minor Leagues. I thought that he looked like he belonged, so all of those are positives for a 20-year-old who got his first days in the Major Leagues in a pennant race, in games that we had to win.” 

Eldridge, who celebrated his 21st birthday on Monday, knows he still has some adjustments to make, but he thought it was valuable to get to a taste of what awaits in the big leagues. 

“These guys, they have a specific plan to get me,” Eldridge said of big-league pitchers in late September. “They’re trying to get me to chase. I feel like I haven’t been chasing as much as I did in the Minor Leagues. That’s just more of an approach thing.

"Obviously, I’ve got to get better at hitting the balls in-zone with the slow stuff and the offspeed, but that just comes with experience. A lot of these guys have the best stuff I’ve ever seen. It’s just an adjustment. With reps, it’ll get better. But being here at 20 and getting to start that development now in this league is pretty important, obviously. It’s going to be hopefully a long road of just playing ball here and getting better every day.”

Eldridge recently underwent surgery to remove a bone spur in his left wrist, and while he’s expected to be fully recovered by Spring Training, it’s not a given that the 6-foot-7 slugger will be on the Opening Day roster next year.

If the Giants feel Eldridge could use more development, they could send him back to Triple-A Sacramento for the start of the season and have Devers man first base in the interim.

Devers said last month that he hadn’t received much clarity on what his primary position will be in 2026, but he expressed a willingness to play wherever the Giants need him. 

“They haven’t told me anything, but I’m ready to work at whatever position they want,” Devers said in Spanish. “I know that those decisions are up to the manager and the front office, not me.” 

Ever dreamed of taking batting practice on a Major League field? Giants fans will get a chance to live out their big league dreams on Nov. 15, when Oracle Park hosts "Swing for the Fences."

Participants will also be treated to prizes, snacks and other on-field activities. In addition, they'll be granted exclusive access to ballpark facilities such as the clubhouse. You can RSVP by placing a $250 deposit toward your 2026 ticket membership.

To subscribe to Giants Beat, visit this page and mark "Giants Beat" from our newsletter list. Make sure you're following the Giants or that they're checked as your favorite team.

View Online

© 2025 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. Visit MLB.com. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

Please review our Privacy Policy.

You (mlb-newsletters@mlb.com) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages or purchased a ticket from MLB. 

Please add info@marketing.mlbemail.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com, please unsubscribe or log in and manage your email subscriptions.

Postal Address: MLB.com, c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.