SF Giants power-hitting prospect will focus on 2 positions in spring training

The SF Giants have hinted all offseason that power-hitting prospect Marco Luciano will see more time in the outfield in 2025. Bob Melvin confirmed that on Friday, saying that Luciano will focus only playing the corner outfield spots according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.

SF Giants power-hitting prospect will focus on 2 positions in spring training

The Giants began last season with the hope that Luciano would be able to stick at shortstop. However, his struggles in the field were more pronounced than ever, so he began seeing more time at second base.

By the end of the year, the Giants sent the 23-year-old to Arizona to start getting reps in the outfield. He spent much of the offseason working with Giants coaches in the outfield but he could continue to see time at second base. Shortstop no longer seems to be an option.

The 2024 campaign was a lost year of development in many respects for Luciano. Not only did his defense take a step back, but his struggles in the field likely affected his production at the plate. The right-handed bat slashed .250/.380/.380 (99 wRC+) with 10 home runs and 42 RBI in 384 plate appearances with the Sacramento Rier Cats.

The high on-base percentage was a promising sign for Luciano. However, there were times where he was bordering on passive at the plate. Luciano did not flash the power that once made him one of the better prospects in baseball. While his bat speed and exit velocity readings were still healthy, his quality of contact played down due to a poor bat bath, leading to too many ground balls. This is something that Heliot Ramos dealt with in the past.

Despite these struggles, the Giants committed to Luciano to get consistent at-bats after the trade deadline but backpedaled on that almost immediately. The Giants did not do any favors to his development with this decision.

However, it is a new year for Luciano. The Giants hope he can get back to being himself at the plate. While the DH role is relatively open, they want him to have more than one way to be in the lineup. If he is able to handle either corner outfield spot, it will open up opportunities.

Barring injuries, Luciano is not necessarily a candidate to make the Opening Day roster. If he hits, that could open up a conversation. At the very least, he knows going into spring training where he will be in the field.