While the Giants big league club flounders, there is at least some optimism in the lower ranks of the organization.
Three youngsters were featured on Major League Baseball’s latest list of the Top 100 prospects. The biggest head turner remains 20-year-old shortstop Marco Luciano, who is No. 9 on the the list after being ranked No. 5 last season.
Though still incredibly young and only in A-ball, Luciano is expected by MLB Pipeline to reach the majors next season. Scouts believe that Luciano has superstar level power, and will be such a threat with the bat that staying at shortstop will not be crucial to his success. He’s projected to eventually move to third base or right field.
Luciano is playing well at High-A Eugene this season, posting a slash line of .288/.360/.507 with eight home runs in 164 plate appearances.
Next on the list is Kyle Harrison at No. 27, the best pitching prospect in the Giants’ system. The left-hander has drawn comparisons to Madison Bumgarner’s rapid rise up the ranks, with Harrison dominating in Double-A this season at just 20 years old. In 36.1 innings with Richmond, Harrison has struck out a 57 batters while walking just 19. In two of his last three starts, Harrison threw over 100 pitches while allowing just two hits in both games, respectively.
In his pro debut last summer, Harrison earned Low-A West pitcher of the year honors and leading the league in ERA (3.19) and strikeouts per nine innings (14.3). Harrison’s fastball touches 98 mph and is complemented by a sharp slider at 82-85 mph. Some believe that Harrison actually could be ready for a call up later this season, but more likely he will make his debut alongside Luciano in 2023.
Last on the list is Luis Matos, another 20-year-old who has draw comparisons in playing style to the great Willie Mays. Matos is an outfield prospect with the best bat-to-ball skills in the Giants system, and has the potential to be a .300 hitter at the major league level. Matos is also considered athletic and smart enough to play all three outfield positions and is an accomplished base stealer, grabbing 42 in 50 attempts during his first two pro seasons.
Like Harrison, Matos received accolades, winning Low-A West MVP, in his first season in the Giants’ system. Also like both of the previous prospects, Matos is projected to get a call up sometime next year.
While all three players should excite Giants fans, this list looks less impressive than it did last year. MLB listed five Giants players on their top 100 in 2021, including Joey Bart at No. 16. Bart started the season with the big league club and was terrible at the plate, leading to serious questions as to whether he will be a good enough hitter at the major league level.
Heliot Ramos also fell off this list after being ranked No. 80 last season, likely due to a very dissapointing campaign at Triple-A Sacramento (.217/.305/.328) so far this season.