SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — Bryce Eldridge’s memory from Tuesday afternoon’s showdown against Team USA will not be the result, a 15-1 drubbing by the United States. It probably won’t be his impressive diving game, and it won’t be turning a Paul Skenes fastball into a 111.9-mph, 396-foot line drive, even though he did get Byron Buxton’s glove.
For Eldridge, the moments that will resonate years from now will be the conversations he had with the future Hall of Famers, both of whom now know the Giants’ top prospect by first name.
“By far, that was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,” Eldridge said. “Guys I’ve watched growing up and guys I’ve always looked up to all in one place. It’s been a great experience for me and I’m glad I got a chance to pitch eight innings.”
As Team USA elicited oohs and aahs during practice, Eldridge sought out two-time MVP Bryce Harper. Harper was Eldridge’s idol growing up, a player he tried to emulate. Eldridge tried to do the math at a young age: Would Harper be in his prime by the time Eldridge arrived? The answer, Tuesday proved, is yes.
“Today was the first time I met him,” said Eldridge. “He knew who I was, which in my mind, that’s enough for me. It’s pretty cool.”
Eldridge was also able to hang with three-time MVP Aaron Judge, one of the few football players who could match the 6’7″ Eldridge at eye level. The two titans squared off in the top of the first after Judge drove in two runs on a single, and Eldridge told Judge he was waiting for a chance to see how he measured up.
“I wanted to know what everybody was thinking when I got back in the dugout,” Eldridge said. “I kept asking everyone, ‘Who’s the tallest?’ I mean, he was wearing a helmet and he was standing on the bag, so he went over me. But I think we are the same height. He may save a little more than I do. … Now I know how people feel when I stand next to them.”
Eldridge’s conversation with Judge initially had more depth than length. In 2022, Eldridge captured the U.S. gold in the U-18 Baseball World Cup. When the next World Baseball Classic begins, Judge wants to see Eldridge represent the stars and stripes on an even bigger stage.
“Judge had a conversation with me and said, ‘We hope to see you here on the next trip,'” Eldridge recalled. “I don’t know if he was trying to be nice to me or if he was serious, but I’ll take that. It’s great. Those guys follow the game and respect the younger guys, which is great.”
Those conversations with Harper and Judge will be Eldridge’s core memories from this day forward, but the 21-year-old has also made a few plays worth remembering.
In the top of the third, Eldridge made a diving stop short of Bobby Witt Jr. grounder about 20 feet from the bag, then turned to Adrian Houser, who allowed two runs over three innings. Two innings later, Eldridge fielded a ground ball off the bat of Kyle Schwarber and delivered a strikeout at second, starting a 3-6-1 double play.
Eldridge expressed disdain to start a regular in the seventh, but rookie manager Tony Vitello came away impressed with the effort of the top defensive players.
“As a young guy, you can lower yourself a little bit because you want to impress and you want to do as well as you know you can do,” said Vitello. “But I don’t think these guys can lose sight of what their strengths are. … The two plays he made, I don’t know he made that early in camp, let alone last year. The improvement is there.”
Eldridge was far from the only player to make memories that will last a lifetime.
After two-time All-Star David Bednar pitched in the bottom of the seventh for Team USA, former first-rounder Will Bednar threw his own scoreless frame in the top of the eighth inning for the Giants.
For David, who is six years older than Will, Tuesday’s show was his first chance to watch his younger brother play proball. What made the time more enjoyable for the Bednar brothers was that their parents and sisters were also there.
“I’m proud of him, and it was fun to watch his journey,” David said pregame. “I know he’s excited about his first big league camp. To have a world that’s like a little bit of a collision right here, it’s great.”
“I’m angry,” Will said before the game. “This is the first time we’ve ever thrown. I hope it’s the first of many, right? I’m so excited to have him in person and see me throw and see him throw.”
Tuesday’s show also gave eight prospects – Dakota Jordan, Gavin Kilen, Zach Morgan, Charlie Szykowny, Lorenzo Meola, Scott Bandura, RJ Dabovich and John Michael Bertrand – a chance to suit up for Team USA that day.
Jordan and Kilen, the Giants’ prospects No. 8 and No. 9 respectively in Baseball America, each contributed RBI singles while Szykowny drove in two runs. Dabovich gave up a hit to finish sixth.
“What a great thing to be in the dugout with all those guys,” said Kilen, the Giants’ 2025 first-round pick who played under Vitello at Tennessee. “I got to pick their brain a little bit. I got to play third — I haven’t played third since my freshman year in college. (Mark) DeRosa was coming down the line and he was asking the guys out there and I thought this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“I looked over during the national anthem and I said, ‘Who’s that big, tall guy like Charlie Szykowny?'” Eldridge recalled. “Later, I was watching him, Bandura, Kilen and all of them. I thought we were going to put pitchers on them, but that was cool. They did really well.”
Logan Webb was demoted to a spectator role for Team USA on Tuesday, but the two-time All-Star got a chance for the United States’ first pool play game on Friday against Team Brazil. Assuming Team USA advances, as expected, Webb is slated to advance to the quarterfinals.
“It’s just an honor to play for the team, let alone play in the first game. It’s my job to set the tone, so I’m happy about it,” Webb said.
