Marco Luciano, SS
DOB: September 10, 2001
BATS: R  /  THROWS: R
ACQUIRED: International Signing, July 2, 2018
LAST LEVEL: Short-A
VOLATILITY: Low

Lev
G
AB
R
H
2B
3B
HR
RBI
SB
CS
BB
SO
BA
OBP
SLG
OPS
2019
2 Teams
Rk-A-
47
179
52
54
13
2
10
42
9
6
32
45
.302
.417
.564
.981
2019
Salem-Keizer
A-
9
33
6
7
4
0
0
4
1
0
5
6
.212
.316
.333
.649
2019
Giants Orange
Rk
38
146
46
47
9
2
10
38
8
6
27
39
.322
.438
.616
1.055
All Levels (1 Season)
47
179
52
54
13
2
10
42
9
6
32
45
.302
.417
.564
.981

See Full Stats Here

GiantFutures Ranks: #1 Shortstop

Performance: At 17, Marco Luciano made his professional debut in the Arizona League, bypassing the Dominican Summer League and becoming one of the youngest players in a young league.  To say he surpassed expectations is an extreme understatement.

He slashed a .322/.438/.616 batting line.  He hit more home runs (10) than doubles (9).  He had a 15% walk rate.  He stole eight bases in 38 games at the level.  He had an average exit velocity of 93 mph, and a top one of 110 mph.  At the age of 17.

He did get a tad humbled on a brief call-up to Salem-Keizer, where he was extremely underaged, but that’s not concerning, although the hamstring injury that ended his season was a tad concerning.  But in 2020, he was a part of the Giants summer training and the Alternate Training Site.  Giants fans got to see their first at-bats of Luciano on TV during the summer, and he earned wide praise from the media that got to see and talk to him.

Strengths and Weaknesses: Bat speed.  Luciano has crazy bat speed, at his best being reminiscent of Barry Bonds’ bat speed.  That gives him incredible power despite having a somewhat slim build.  The bat speed has given Luciano advantages all over, including an ability to take walks, apparently getting a split-second longer to make decisions on pitches thanks to the speed.

Luciano has a high baseball IQ.  In an interview this summer with Baseball America, he talked about how he first had an inside-out swing, so he was taught how to better pull the ball.  But that adjustment caused his shoulders to fly open, and so he had to make another adjustment.  Many young players don’t have the aptitude to both see the changes they need to make like that, and also implement them as well as Luciano has.  He takes that IQ to the plate and in the field.

There’s just so many positives about Luciano to talk about.  If there’s any weaknesses in his game, he’s an average runner, and may slow as his body gets bigger.  He also is still proving himself at shortstop, more in terms of range than anything else.  Some scouts think that he’s eventually going to move to third base, but that’s a very split opinion.  He has a strong enough arm to stay at either position on the left side of the infield.

2021 Outlook: There’s a chance he starts at Low-A San Jose, but the Giants are high on Luciano, and he’s done nothing to let them down.  He would have been in Low-A in 2020, but I’m betting the Giants are ready to put him in Eugene and have him face High-A competition at the age of 19.  It’ll be a challenge, but one that Luciano could very well be up to.

Future Profile: How many superlatives do you want?  All-star?  Superstar?  You don’t want to jinx it, but MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis just randomly predicted the top 2022 prospect in all of baseball will be Luciano.

The hype is real about Luciano, and fans can definitely get excited.  The only questions are health and position.  Over the summer, Giants PBO Farhan Zaidi indicated the team thinks he’ll be sticking at shortstop, but if his range is too limited, third base remains a possibility.  His arm is strong enough to handle that.

Otherwise, there is one word I’ll use that I hope won’t be a jinx: Cornerstone.  That’s what Luciano should become.