San Francisco Giants prospect Bryce Eldridge shared the field with some of the game’s biggest names during a 15-1 exhibition loss to Team USA at Scottsdale Stadium.

The 6-foot-7 first baseman logged eight innings at first base, placing him shoulder-to-shoulder, quite literally, with Aaron Judge after the Team USA captain opened the scoring with a two-run single off Adrian Houser in the first inning.

“I was just curious what everyone thought when I got back in the dugout,” Eldridge said as first reported by Maria Guardado of MLB.com. “I kept asking everyone. I was like, ‘Who's taller?’ He had a helmet on, and he was standing on the bag, so everyone said he towered [over] me, but I think we're a pretty similar height. 

“Now I know how people feel when I stand next to them.”

Judge also offered words of encouragement, telling the 21-year-old slugger, “We hope to see you here on the next [World Baseball Classic] go-round.”

“I don't know if he was just trying to be super nice to me or if he meant it, but I'll take that,” Eldridge said. “It's just cool. Those guys, they follow the game, and they respect the young guys, which is awesome.”

Eldridge, who is pushing for an Opening Day roster spot this spring, has already represented the United States at the 18-U level and hopes to do so again on a bigger stage.

“It's something that I always want to do, represent our country,” Eldridge said. “I was very grateful to do that in ‘22, to play on the 18-U team. That was an experience I'll never forget. That's just something I want to continue to do.”

Batting eighth, Eldridge went 0-for-3, but turned heads in a third-inning at-bat against reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes.

After falling behind 0-2, he battled back to even the count and crushed a 97.2 mph fastball to center at 111.9 mph off the bat, the hardest-hit ball of the game.

Unfortunately for Eldridge, Byron Buxton tracked it down near the warning track.

“Obviously, he's one of, if not the, best pitchers in the game,” Eldridge said of Skenes. “I think those types of guys kind of bring out the best in me. Obviously, he has great stuff. He kind of fooled me on one pitch.”

Before the first pitch, Eldridge also met his childhood hero, Bryce Harper, whom he credited for inspiring his love of baseball.

“It was awesome,” Eldridge said. “I got to meet him when he was standing behind the turtle over here in BP, and basically told him he was the reason I love playing baseball. He's the person I mimicked growing up, and he was my idol.”

“He knew who I was,” Eldridge added. “That’s enough for me.”

Harper returned the praise.

“Obviously, he’s a high prospect and a really good player,” Harper said. “Good swing. He had some pretty good numbers, pretty good years in the Minors. The swing he put on it today was pretty good there to center field. Obviously, the sky is the limit for his future.”

Fellow Giants prospect Gavin Kilen also saw action, stepping in at third base and driving in a run.

"I was like, man, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Kilen said. "It was really cool. What a surreal opportunity and experience to get out there and play with these guys and get to compete a little bit."

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