SF Giants: Kyle Harrison, Marco Luciano remain among ESPN's top 50 prospects
ESPN MLB insider and prospects guru Kiley McDaniel recently updated his top 50 prospects rankings for this season. And it included a couple of SF Giants prospects as both Marco Luciano and Kyle Harrison are ranked inside McDaniel's rankings.
Before reading, be sure to check out our midseason Giants prospects rankings to get acclimated to players throughout the system.
Luciano leads the way for the Giants as he was ranked 29th and was given a 55 Future Value (FV) grade by McDaniel. Here is what McDaniel wrote about the power-hitting shortstop:
"Luciano made a brief cameo earlier this summer for his big league debut, but next year figures to be when he gets extended time. He's still mostly playing shortstop but has projected to a corner for some time. He's a plus power-and-patience sort with some questions on how much contact will be a part of that profile."
Prior to sustaining a hamstring injury two weeks ago, the Giants' top international FA signing during the 2018 cycle was having a so-so season in the high-Minors. Across both Double-A and Triple-A, Luciano has a .781 OPS with 13 home runs. In desperate need of offensive spark at shortstop, the Giants called him up to the big league squad where he racked up 0.1 WAR in just four games played.
One does not simply take Luciano's peripherals (14% walk rate and 29.5% strikeout rate) in black and white. If you watch Luciano's at-bats, his patience and pitch selection has improved. He was getting into two-strike counts a bit too often, but his swinging strike rate is lower than most hitters with a similar strikeout rate as him. Perhaps the most improved aspect of Luciano's game is his defense at shortstop where his feet and overall actions look cleaner. He now makes routine plays with some potential for highlight-reel plays on the run though his limited range can bite him at times in limited action in the Majors.
On the other hand, Harrison ranked 36th though was a tier below Luciano, with a 50 FV grade. Here is what McDaniel wrote about the left-hander:
"Harrison's command has become a bigger question this season while his two plus pitches from a lower lefty slot are very similar to Tiedemann, who is 16 spots higher. If his command doesn't progress, Harrison could still be a dangerous multi-and-late-inning player, but he has another year or two before that becomes his likeliest outcome."
Control of his repertoire has been the bane for Harrison for most of his pro career. It was exacerbated this season in the hitter-friendly, ABS-driven Pacific Coast League where his walk rate ballooned to 16.3%. However, Harrison is still one of the best strikeout artists in the minors with a 35.6% strikeout rate.
Harrison's stuff never waned away with his fastball still sitting in the 93-96 mph range, topping out at 97 mph on occasion alongside his two distinct sliders, a low-80s offering with depth and a mid-80s variety for power. He still has a mid-80s changeup at his disposal though he seemed uncomfortable to have it featured as his third-best pitch.
McDaniel also mentioned lefty Carson Whisenhunt among his 30 prospects of note, implying that the 2022 second-rounder will be included when the rankings expand to 100 prospects in the offseason, which would put three SF Giants on the list.
