2022 Pre-Season SF Giants Top Prospects: 1-5

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2. Marco Luciano

Position: SS
Age: 20
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 208 lbs.
Projected Level: Eugene (High-A)
MLB ETA: 2024

Coming in with as much hype and expectations as anyone entering the 2021 season, Luciano was often near or at the top of the Low-A West home run leaderboard before his promotion to Eugene. Luciano struggled mightily in the Pacific Northwest as signs of fatigue and over-aggression were clear. After the regular season, he got a taste of the Arizona Fall League to face better competition.

What was clear last season is that Luciano is not a prodigal hitter when comparing him to Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Wander Franco. Luciano has a solid feel of the strike zone, but he can get sequenced. That was especially clear in Eugene where he was attempting to hit breaking balls, often resulting in him being late for fastballs. He has the God-given talent of hitting balls very hard when he connects, but the stiffness in his broad and muscular frame limits his range of motion to be a plus contact hitter.

Luciano’s stiffness is also obvious on defense, where he has a sound glove and strong throwing arm but his actions in the dirt are unnatural for players with similar size like Carlos Correa, and even Corey Seager, often looking nonchalant and slow especially on spinning throws. He can make the easy and normal plays with a solid range for the position, but there are also plenty of youthful mistakes all season long.

Even with an up-and-down season, Luciano still has All-Star potential based on the power projection alone. He projects as a potential All-Star in the outfield and not at shortstop, however, his defensive limitations will end up pushing him out of the position if better defenders like Aeverson Arteaga and Casey Schmitt prove that they have the bat to stick in the position.

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