SF Giants: Marco Luciano Ranks as MLB’s No. 4 SS Prospect

Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline released his top-10 shortstop prospects and it is a loaded list, including one highly-rated SF Giants prospect.

According to Mayo, SF Giants prospect Marco Luciano comes in as the no. 4 shortstop prospect in baseball. The 19-year-old has a limited pro track record, but he has shown explosive tools in that time. Mayo adds that Luciano has the best raw power at his position:

"“Luciano’s raw power and bat speed are top of the scale, and he has the advanced hitting chops to get to it consistently. He’ll still be a teenager for most of the 2021 season, and he’s still filling out and adding strength to his 6-foot-2 frame.”"

Luciano headlined an impressive 2018-2019 IFA class along with Luis Matos and Jairo Pomares by agreeing to a $2.6 million signing bonus. Since then, he has shot up the prospect charts with his loud tools that are on display with the few videos that are available.

The right-handed power bat made his professional debut in 2019 where he slashed .302/.417/.564 with 13 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, and 42 RBI in 216 plate appearances split across two lower minor-league levels. This came with a solid 14.8 percent walk rate against a 20.8 percent strikeout, so he showed impressive patience at the plate given that he was in his age-17 season.

Of course, Luciano’s bat was not officially on display in 2020 as the minor league season was canceled but he did participate in an expanded instructional league in the fall and he did not disappoint:

Will the Giants see Luciano any time soon? Well, Mayo notes that the earliest we might see him is in 2023. That said, given his pedigree and the front office’s aggressive approach to promotions, he is someone who could be moved quickly if he performs. For the sake of comparison, Ronald Acuna and Juan Soto needed just 1,129 and 512, respectively, before they were promoted to the majors.

It may not be fair to compare Luciano to either player, but he is in that echelon of the prospect world where he is expected to a big-time contributor at an early age for the Giants.

The next question is will he remain at shortstop? He has spent every inning of his pro career at shortstop and the Giants seem to think he can stick. Following his signing, there were some questions of whether he would stay at shortstop, but those concerns seem to have subsided.

Giants fans should be excited about the upside Luciano brings to the table, and the hope is that he brings that to Oracle Park soon enough.