Several rookie players have stepped forward to stake a claim to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award, even as JJ Wetherholt of the St. Louis Cardinals remains the favorite to win.
San Francisco Giants rookie Bryce Eldridge may have emerged as a real threat to Wetherhold, having made a strong claim of his own since getting recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on May 4.
Bryce Eldridge has a strong case to win the NL ROTY
A former first-round pick (16th overall) of the Giants in 2023, the club has struggled to find him consistent at-bats, with Rafael Devers (57 games) and Casey Schmidt (15) getting starts at first base instead.
Eldrige is making the most of his playing time, however. The 23-year-old has batted .298 (first among qualified rookies) with a .905 OPS (first), with six home runs, and is leading in slugging percentage (.516).
The production has stepped up in June. Eldridge is hitting .348 with a .576 slugging percentage this month, with four homers and 12 RBI. He’s walking (11) almost as much as he’s striking out (15).
Giants’ manager Tony Vitello knows how good his rookie is and had even flirted with the notion of moving Eldridge to the leadoff spot.
“It only makes sense to try to get him as many at-bats as possible in the lineup. We even flirted with talking about the one-spot,” Vitello told Murph and Markus on “The Sports Leader” on KNBR on June 18. “He’s too good, he’s ready to take on any responsibility you give him.”
Eldridge will continue to receive playing time so long as he’s swinging a hot bat. Wetherhold may be his chief competitor for the Rookie of the Year Award, but other candidates will also be in the mix, including Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (despite missing a month to an elbow injury).
