Bryce Eldridge has starred at the plate since calls for his demotion
Article excerpt
Two weeks after broadcaster Mike Krukow called for Bryce Eldridge's demotion to the minors, the young player has ignited at the plate. Eldridge's hot streak since Krukow's comments represents a striking turnaround for a prospect who faced public criticism about his readiness for major league competition. The timing of his surge, coming directly after a prominent voice questioned his place on the roster, adds an unexpected narrative layer to what could be a career-defining moment. Whether Eldridge can sustain this performance or if the uptick proves temporary remains to be seen.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 31: Bryce Eldridge #8 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates his sixth inning solo home run against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 31, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On the morning of Wednesday, May 20, San Francisco Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge had a slash line of .143/.226/.250, with only one extra-base hit in nine games. He wasn’t playing every day, looked to be pressing at the plate, and was blocked by stronger hitters Rafael Devers and Casey Schmitt.
That’s when Mike Krukow went on KNBR and declared that Eldridge should go down to Triple-A.
“I know everybody’s upset and frustrated and wants to see this guy hit more, but quite honestly he hasn’t earned the right to do it.”
Mike Krukow was quick to jump in when asked about Giants fans wanting Bryce Eldridge in the lineup every day.
(@knbrmurph & @MarkusBoucher) pic.twitter.com/zG8L4hVuN2
, KNBR (@KNBR) May 20, 2026
Krukow sounded like a hater, stopping just shy of telling Eldridge to “grab some Rivercats pine, meat.” He wasn’t being malicious, and it’s not like the Giants don’t have a recent history of promoting prospects with limited minor-league experience. Dearly departed catcher Patrick Bailey got only 60 plate appearances each at Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento. Schmitt played 29 games at Double-A and 36 at Triple-A before the Giants brought him to the big leagues.
Was there an element of “Respect your elders, young fella” and “Get off my lawn infield grass!” to Krukow’s comment? Of course! Krukow is 74 years old. He likely remembers how annoying Will Clark was to hang out with 40 years ago.
Perhaps fired up by the criticism, Eldridge hit a double that afternoon. Two games later, he went 2-for-3 with a walk. In a three-game series at Coors Field, Eldridge was 6-for-11 with two walks, a homer, and four doubles. He went 2-for-5 Friday, continuing his eight-game hit streak and scoring two runs, and his slash line now stands at 293/.372/.467. Since Krukow’s comments, Eldridge is hitting .383 and slugging .596, with six walks and 10 Ks.
He’s also wearing out pitchers. Since May 23, Eldridge is seeing 4.57 pitches per plate appearance, fourth-most in the league. He’s also regularly lining balls off of opposing pitchers, leading to infield hits and bruises, with Eldridge’s liner off Grant Anderson’s forearm knocking him out of Thursday’s game.
Thankfully, Eldridge has not struck back at another pitcher named Mike Krukow, though we are fairly sure that the 21-year-old slugger looks plenty ready to him now. The Giants offense is red-hot, scoring 30 runs in their last two games.
But if they start to cool off, manager Tony Vitello can fire up his team by playing the KNBR card. We suggest going on the station and find out what Larry Krueger thinks about ethnic differences as it pertains to plate discipline.