1 MARCO LUCIANO SS
Hit: 60 Power: 60 Speed: 40 Fielding: 50 Arm: 60 BA Grade: 60 Risk: High
Born: September 10, 2001. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-2. WT: 178.
Signed: Dominican Republic, 2018.
Signed by: Jonathan Bautista.
TRACK RECORD: Luciano has been the Giants’ top prospect for four consecutive seasons, yet he might just be beginning to scratch the surface of his talent. He was lauded as an amateur for his offensive gifts, which included the potential to hit for both average and power while sticking on the left side of the infield. The Giants paid $2.6 million to sign Luciano and he smashed the Rookie-level Arizona League in his 2019 pro debut, then earned a quick cameo at short-season Salem-Keizer before a hamstring tweak ended his season. After spending the 2020 season as one of the youngest players at an alternate training site, Luciano put together a standout 2021 campaign at Low-A San Jose before running into some resistance at High-A Eugene. Luciano’s 2022 season was interrupted by a back injury that limited him to just 57 non-rehab games, but he showed offensive and defensive skills.
First and foremost, Luciano’s value will be in the batter’s box. After running roughshod through the California League in 2021, he got into trouble against older pitchers who were better equipped to execute a game plan. Luciano countered in 2022 by learning how pitchers were going to attack him and making better swing decisions. He still could stand to be a bit more selective, but a 90th percentile exit velocity of 106.2 mph shows that his impact potential is among the upper echelon of minor leaguers. Scouts say Luciano doesn’t have to over-swing to get to that power, either. Instead, he can take a controlled swing and let his natural strength shoot balls over the fence with surprising ease for someone his age. Instead of trying to hit every ball out of the park, he’s content to shorten up and settle for singles when appropriate. The next improvements for Luciano involve becoming a little more adept at handling pitches in on his hands or in the upper part of the strike zone. If upper-level pitchers can execute there, scouts expect Luciano’s rate of swing-and-miss to get a tick higher. Defensively,
