Madison's Eldridge Named Gatorade VA Baseball Player of the Year
CHICAGO (June 2, 2023) — In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best High School athletes, Gatorade today announced Bryce Eldridge of James Madison High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Virginia Baseball Player of the Year. Eldridge is the first Gatorade Virginia Baseball Player of the Year to be chosen from James Madison High School.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Eldridge as Virginia’s best high school baseball player.
Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year award to be announced in June, Eldridge joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Jackson Holliday (2021-22, Stillwater High School, Okla.), Bobby Witt Jr. (2018-19, Colleybille Heritage High School, Texas), Clayton Kershaw (2005-06, Highland Park High School, Texas) and Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo High School, Mich.).
The 6-foot-7, 225-pound senior right-handed pitcher and first baseman has compiled a 9-0 record on the mound with a 1.06 ERA and 66 strikeouts against just eight walks in 39.2 innings pitched, leading the Warhawks to a 21-4 record entering the VHSL Class 6 Region D championship game.
Eldridge also batted .422 with eight home runs and 23 RBI, producing an on-base percentage of .649 and an OPS of 1.716. Ranked as the nation’s No. 8 prospect in the Class of 2023 by Perfect Game, and as the No. 23 overall prospect in this July’s Major League Baseball Draft by Baseball America, he was named Tournament MVP playing for Team USA last summer at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup, culminating with the gold medal.
Eldridge has volunteered locally with Little League’s Challenger Division, an adaptive baseball program for individuals with physical and intellectual challenges. He has also donated his time during the holiday season assisting local service organizations with Christmas tree sales.
“Bryce is a generational talent,” said Rich Kelsey of the Loudoun South Baseball Report. “At 6-7, he’s still agile enough to play shortstop. His power and ability to barrel up balls is next-level. On the hill, he’s just scratching the surface of unlimited potential. His production this season in what is arguably Virginia’s toughest district reflects his complete two-way dominance.”
In the classroom, Eldridge has maintained a 3.13 GPA. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball on scholarship at the University of Alabama this fall, but is projected to be an early round selection in July’s 2023 Major League Baseball Draft.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction High School football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.
The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
Eldridge joins recent Gatorade Virginia Baseball Players of the Year Seth Keller (2021-22, Hanover High School), Griffin O’Ferrall (2020-21, St. Christopher’s School), Jay Woolfolk (2019-20, Benedictine College Prep), and Nate Savino (2018-19, Potomac Falls High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.
Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade’s Play it Forward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s social impact partners, supporting Gatorade’s ambition to fuel the future of sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.
For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.
*** To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade. ***