In the midst of a tight race for a National League Wild Card spot, the Giants are set to call SS Marco Luciano up to the Majors for his MLB debut. With Luciano headed to San Francisco, here’s a closer look at the 21-year-old prospect.
Related: What the Dodgers and Red Sox Got in the Enrique Hernandez Trade
A Look at Luciano
Giants infielder prospect Marco Luciano quickly made a name for himself in the Minors, when he hit ten home runs and hit .302 over 47 games in the AZL and Northwest League. That season propel the now 21-year-old shortstop up prospect rankings lists.
Since then, Luciano has steadily made gains as a prospect. The Giants infielder hit 19 home runs and 41 extra base hits over 106 games in 2021, then eleven more in an injury-shortened 2022 campaign.
This season, Luciano hit .235/.342/.469 with 13 home runs and 27 extra base hits over 62 games between Richmond (AA) and Sacramento (AAA). He did miss time earlier in the year with a back injury, but he’s been quite good since the start of June. Luciano posted a .258 average and .871 OPS in June — much improved from his .185 average and .724 OPS from May — and cracked two home runs and four extra base hits in six games with the River Cats.
The standout tool in Luciano’s arsenal is his power. Luciano generates a ton of bat speed and possesses the ability to stay back and punish breaking balls left over the plate.
He’ll strike out often, but also draw plenty of walks. Luciano sported a strong career walk rate of 12.1% in the Minors.
Defensively, Luciano’s played exclusively at short in the Minors and has received rave reviews for his arm. However, Luciano may need to move off the position in the future. Scouting reports indicate the 21-year-old possesses average speed, and that may be an even bigger problem in the future (h/t MLB.com)
Infielder David Villar was demoted as a corresponding move.
A Look at the Giants
The Giants have promoted several high-profile names to the Majors in recent months, including OF Luis Matos and C Patrick Bailey. Bailey, in particular, has been very productive for the Giants since he was promoted in May. The former NC State star posted roughly an average OPS over his first 50 MLB games, and has been a steady hand behind the plate.
We’ll see if Luciano can have the same impact, as the Giants are down several middle infielders at the moment. Both Brandon Crawford and Thairo Estrada are on the IL, although Crawford may be able to return in the coming days.
