Who were the best SF Giants position player prospects in the Cactus League?

Who were the best SF Giants position player prospects in the Cactus League?

Jimmy Glowenke

Glowenke was heavily featured towards the second half of spring, indicating that the Giants might be liking what they see from him so far. He struggled mightily against sliders but had a good feel for the fastball when he was batting.

He's hit a home run but it's still quite a stretch to think of him as a double-digit home run guy. The most interesting thing about Glowenke though is that he played defensively at third base this spring. He was solid or better as a second baseman but it might be a stretch to put him at third as he struggled a bit finding accuracy on his throws.

Carter Howell

Howell was not in the swinging mood for most of his plate appearances this spring as he struck out in all three of his at-bats while walking in his other two plate appearances. He had an at-bat where he tried to swing but he was late on fastballs thrown against a lefty sidewinder. Swing-wise, he does not have much tweaks done to it. It was also slightly inconclusive since he did not put the ball in play.

Lee Jung-hoo

In my opinion, Lee's first taste of big-league talents this spring is as expected. Lee was at times overmatched but those instances are much less compared to what he's shown at the KBO. He's had a good eye at the plate and he battles. He is quite comfortable in two-strike counts which I really like. The defense at center field also looks as advertised. He is not the quickest guy in the team but he is fundamentally sound and he is smooth out there. He will be the team's center fielder for as long as he is playing with the Orange and Black.

Marco Luciano

Luciano was in a big competition at shortstop with Nick Ahmed that eventually resulted in him not getting the Opening Day gig. Honestly, his spring training audition did not pan out as hoped. There were far too many swings and misses, especially early on. He finished strong though when he showcased his prodigal power potential when he connected.

He's still displayed the discerning eye at the plate that we saw from him last season. It looks like the path for him moving forward. The defense continues to look average where he can do some routine plays but it is not as smooth nor natural as one would expect at the position.

Grant McCray

McCray appeared in a lot of games this spring, oftentimes the first pinch runner out there whenever a guy gets on base. He was keen to show off his wheels and the defense in the outfield, in center or left field, was as advertised. He was very patient at the box, taking pitches at a high clip.

It led to plenty of two-strike situations that resulted in strikeouts with Eugene last year. This spring, however, he's found a way to put the ball in play and let his speed play. If he can carry that over in the regular season, then we'll be looking at a better McCray in 2024.