It would only seem appropriate with a name like Bridges that you’d be a builder of sorts in the game of baseball.
You need only to look as far as what’s happened in Atlanta to see what Brian Bridges has accomplished in his career, as well as what’s coming in San Francisco; the long time Braves scout is now a national crosschecker for the Giants, and is already helping to put together a strong foundation for a big future in the Bay Area.
After stints with the Marlins and Angels, Bridges first joined the Braves in 2007 as a scout in the southeast region, and was regarded as playing a pivotal role in adding cornerstone talent at the time like Jason Heyward, Craig Kimbrel, Alex Wood and Mike Minor. Baseball America recognized him as one of the scouts with the most players to have made their big league debuts in the 2010’s.
He became Atlanta’s scouting director in 2015 and oversaw the Braves following four Drafts; he helped select Cy Young finalist Mike Soroka, Silver Slugger award winner Austin Riley, 2021 World Series Game 1 winning pitcher A.J. Minter and others that helped them win their first championship in 26 years.
Bridges himself, however, was already with San Francisco by the time that all happened, quickly scooped up by the Giants prior to the 2019 season after his time with the Braves had come to an end.
“[Bridges] is a pro and a great human being,” Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos told MLB.com at the time of the move. “As an evaluator and a scout, he’s one of the best I’ve ever been around.”
The Athletic’s Keith Law, himself a Future Stars Series advisory board member, ranked the Giants farm system ninth heading into the 2022 MLB season, in part due to moves that were made since Bridges came aboard; Hunter Bishop, Patrick Bailey and Will Bednar have each made quick impacts in the organization since they were taken with the team’s first pick in each of the last three Drafts.
In addition, Future Stars Series alums have been selected by San Francisco in two of the three Drafts held since Bridges joined; Dilan Rosario went 176th overall in 2019, while Eric Silva was picked 115th just last year.
“Brian has simply been very good for a long time,” said Program 15 Sports CEO and President Jeremy Booth.
“He’s very responsible for the Braves success past, present, and future. He’s one of the guys I used to make sure I was aware of when I started scouting, simply because he wasn’t afraid to get players who might have some risk but would help you win a World Series. Off the field, he’s loyal, giving, and cares about the game above himself. He’s a mentor to many and has again and again created pathways for players that changed the game as we know it, but you’ll never hear him say it or ask for credit. It’s impressive to watch and be around.”
