SCOTTSDALE -- The conversations around Bryce Eldridge early in the spring focused largely on his glove. Eldridge still is relatively new to first base, and the Giants want him to become more proficient defensively in order to avoid the possibility that their best prospect needs to break into the big leagues as a designated hitter.
When he met with the media for the first time, Eldridge talked excitedly about the strides he hoped to make at first base and his desire to learn from guest instructor J.T. Snow.
Eldridge primarily was a DH in Cactus League games, but now that he has been reassigned to minor league camp, he can get much-needed reps on the dirt. Quickly improving defensively would accelerate his timeline, but whenever the Giants make that call, it'll mostly be because Eldridge possesses franchise-altering traits with a bat in his hand.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The 20-year-old has as much raw power as any prospect in baseball, and probably more than any other player -- big leaguer or minor leaguer -- in the Giants organization. He's able to tap into it so consistently because he has a remarkably short swing for someone who stands 6-foot-7 and takes up the entire left-handed batter's box when he digs his heels in.
Early in the spring, Eldridge said his focus is on "tight turns into the ground." On Thursday's "Giants Talk" podcast he explained why that's so important for his swing.
"That's just something I kind of almost hammered at. 'Tight turns into the ground' is just a good mental cue for me," he said. "If I'm not turning tight I start pulling off and things don't get good there, and obviously I'm a big frame and sometimes I don't want to drive into the ground and get down into my legs. So that's just something that I think in my head -- not when we're in game situations, but when I'm working on things or when I'm feeling things out or struggling to find the swing. Those are the two first things I go to.
"That's something that's always been in the back of my head whenever things aren't feeling right. Just tight turns and drive that back knee into the ground."
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
The compact swing drew the Giants to Eldridge, who originally was drafted out of a Virginia high school as a two-way player, and he said it's something he has just about always focused on. There were times as a teenager when he was growing too quickly and he struggled with coordination and staying short to the ball, but as he settled into his body as a high school sophomore and junior, he felt things click. He was once again able to repeat the swing that now has him pushing for a big league debut.
When you're the size of a small forward, there aren't as many hitters you can easily emulate. Eldridge's power and height will inevitably lead to comparisons to Aaron Judge if he lives up to the hype, but he said it's actually another perennial American League All-Star who stands out as someone he watches closely.
"I'd say Yordan Alvarez, that was a guy that I just loved watching," he said. "He's a big lefty, (we have) kind of similar frames, he's a strong guy and he hits the ball really hard to all portions of the field. He's fun to watch and he's the definition of the tight turn. He's just so smooth with it and everything is in sync, so it's cool to watch him play."
The Houston Astros slugger, listed at 6-foot-5, is coming off his fourth consecutive 30-homer season. The Giants expect that Eldridge will one day provide that kind of production for the heart of their lineup, but right now they're happy to be patient. Eldridge finished last season with a few days in Triple-A, but the front office has discussed whether it's better to start his 2025 season in Double-A, where he could follow a more traditional development path.
Regardless of where he starts, Eldridge has a very good shot of finishing the season at Oracle Park, where those tight turns should lead to plenty of balls landing in McCovey Cove over the years.
"The hitting is already way beyond a (20-year-old)," Melvin said earlier this spring. "So it's just getting him comfortable and getting him in games and let him get some at-bats and play, and then go do his thing and push the envelope."