Young SF Giants bat experiments at first base for the first time in his career

The Sacramento River Cats released their lineup on Wednesday with one notable change. Young SF Giants hitter Marco Luciano appeared at first base for the first time in his pro career.

Young SF Giants bat experiments at first base for the first time in his career

I suppose there were two notable changes. Jake Lamb, who has spent all season at DH or first base, made an appearance at the hot corner for the first time since 2023.

The veteran infielder originally came up as a third basemen, but has shifted to first base in recent years. He joined the Giants organization on a minor league deal in the winter.

With the Giants' struggles at first base, the Giants may have viewed Lamb as a potential candidate. However, he has posted a .699 OPS with two home runs and 20 RBI in 168 plate appearances in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League this season.

On the other hand, Luciano will possibly add first base to his utility belt. The Giants signed him as a 16-year-old shortstop in 2018, but he moved off that position last year due to some notable struggles defensively.

Luciano spent the bulk of his time in 2025 in left field. He had a misplay or two early in the year, and not surprisingly, he still looks relatively new to the position. Luciano has the arm strength and athleticism to learn the position, but his jumps do need to show improvement.

The 2025 campaign has been a mixed bag for the former top prospect. He is slashing .216/.340/.402 (101 wRC+) with nine home runs, 29 RBI, and 32 runs in 235 plate appearances. This comes with a strong 15.3 percent walk rate and a high 27.7 percent strikeout rate.

Luciano continues to flash above-average raw power. He has a 91.8 MPH average exit velocity, but that hard contact tends to play down due to a bat path that is generating ground balls at too high of a rate. There has been some modest improvements in that regard this season, but the consistency is not there yet.

Adding first base to Luciano's skill set will create another avenue to get his bat into the lineup. The Giants hope that he can help the lineup down the road. For now, he continues to get uninterrupted reps in Triple-A.