He won’t be seen in major league camp just yet, but Marco Luciano’s reputation is preceding him.
The 18-year-old shortstop from the Dominican Republic is not just a top Giants prospect, but a top gem around the league. Baseball America released its top-100 prospects list Wednesday, and while Luciano has not yet played above short-season Salem-Keizer, he’s listed as the No. 19 prospect in baseball.
Joining him in prospect royalty is catcher Joey Bart (No. 32), having fallen from No. 15 after a pair of broken hands last season, and outfielder Heliot Ramos (63).
Luciano, whom the Giants won for $2.6 million in 2018, electrified in his first taste of professional ball last season, tearing up Arizona League pitching before his promotion to Salem-Keizer, where hamstring issues ended his season. He finished slugging .302/.417/.564 in 216 plate appearances. Perhaps most impressively, the site gives him a 70 on the scouting scale — the maximum is 80 — for power, projecting the 6-foot-2, 178-pound five-tool prospect will grow into a slugger. He hammered 10 home runs last season. The Giants’ succession plan for Brandon Crawford is still far off, but the view sure is pretty.
Bart and Ramos are closer to hitting prime time, both having touched Double-A Richmond last year and figuring to start their seasons either there or Triple-A Sacramento. Bart just needs more reps to finish off and is expected to debut around midseason, while Ramos — a 20-year-old from Puerto Rico — will need to prove himself more against top pitching before his promotion. Only Bart has been given an invitation to major league camp.
