Giants manager Tony Vitello has spent most of his coaching career at the college level molding young men into refined baseball players.
That will not end with his jump to MLB in San Francisco.
Vitello gets the chance to coach the organization's top prospect, 21-year-old Bryce Eldridge. During an interview on 95.7 The Game's "Willard & Dibs", Vitello revealed how Eldridge can improve.
"Physically, he's still growing into that body," Vitello noted. "And body control is so important. Part of that is adding in agility stuff and things to become more athletic."
Eldridge stands at 6-foot-7, weighing 240 pounds. He is the tallest position player to wear a Giants uniform since first baseman Damon Minor (2000-04).
At just 21-years-old, it probably hasn't been long since Eldridge stopped growing. Getting more comfortable with his body, as Vitello says, will help him at the plate.
"With those guys, it takes longer to gain true core strength and control your body and just make things easier to repeat," Vitello explained. "When he does that, it'll be a higher percentage of success he has at the plate."
Eldridge, called up from Triple-A in mid-September, had just three hits in 28 at-bats in his 10 games played with the Giants. Despite his quiet late-season major league stint, he was a force in the minor leagues, which earned him the call-up. In 102 games played across three minor league levels, Eldridge batted .260 with 25 home runs and 84 RBI.
Learning how to play in his body will help him with more than just hitting, Vitello notes.
"Defensively and on the bases, I think he'll become a more complete player and more of a complete athlete," Vitello said.
Eldridge's new major league coach also praised the young prospect's foundation that will help with his development.
"I wouldn't by any means call him raw. He knows what he is doing," Vitello said. "He played at a very high level in some competitive areas and on a great team when he was in high school even. And now he's been through the system a little bit."
Eldridge's development could prove to be Vitello's keystone project in his new job, given the manager's expertise, and he clearly is excited about the prospect's potential.
"What a blessing, to see a guy that is ultra-talented and can make an impact at a high level right away. But also, you can legitimately dream on what is to come," Vitello said.