Intriguing two-way player among the 4 SF Giants prospects to land on Baseball Prospectus' top-101 list

Baseball Prospectus published its top-101 prospects on Tuesday. For the SF Giants, they have three familiar names appear on the list and one name that is a bit of a surprise. The four included were Marco Luciano (No. 43), Kyle Harrison (No. 44), Carson Whisenhunt (No. 68), and Bryce Eldridge (No. 97).

Intriguing two-way player among the 4 SF Giants prospects to land on Baseball Prospectus' top-101 list

By the way, the list itself is free to view. However, if you would like detailed breakdowns and scouting reports, then a subscription is required.

By now, Luciano and Harrison are familiar names with Giants fans. Both debuted in 2023 and showed flashes of promise. Luciano posted a .641 OPS in 45 plate appearances but made plenty of hard contact along the way. He is penciled in as the everyday shortstop next season.

On the other hand, Harrison tallied a 4.15 ERA with 35 strikeouts against 11 walks in 34.2 frames following his promotion. He may never flash good command, but he showed improved control in a Giants uniform. The Giants expect him to be part of the Opening Day rotation, especially considering that both Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb will begin the year on the injured list. This is a good opportunity for the pitching prospect to stake his claim on a rotation spot.

For the past year, both Luciano and Harrison have been regarded among some of the best prospects in baseball. Ranking in the mid-40's represents a slide for both that could be due in part to prospect fatigue. The other part could be due to wrinkles that emerged in 2023.

Luciano has battled a nagging back injury over the past couple of seasons and there are questions about his ability to stick at shortstop. He has the offensive profile to change positions, but projecting him as a shortstop would carry more weight to prospect evaluators.

Similarly, Harrison battled control problems during his time in Triple-A, walking 48 batters in 65.2 innings. That was due in part to an adjustment to the use of the automatic strikezone that was used at times. Plus, while the lefty pitcher flashed a good fastball-slider mix, he may need to develop a third pitch.

Carson Whisenhunt had one of the better seasons in the Giants organization last year. The 2022 second-round pick tallied a 2.45 ERA in 58.2 innings across three levels last year. There is a good chance that he debuts for the Giants sooner rather than later.

Lastly, Bryce Eldridge was a bit of a surprise to crack the top-101 list. That said, there has been plenty of buzz surrounding him since he was taken in the first round of the 2023 draft. He registered a .905 OPS split between two levels including Low-A. The 19-year-old prospect is a two-way player but only worked out as a position player last year. There is a chance that he can stick at both positions.