2. Marco Luciano SS. DOB: 9/10/2001. B-R, T-R. 6'2", 178 lbs. 2 Options.
2023(AA): ,263/.339/.459, 11 HR, 6 SB, 14.9 BB%, 29.8 K%, 242 PA.
2023(AAA): .228/.339/.450, 4 HR, 12.8 BB%, 35.9 K%, 78 PA.
2023(MLB): .231/.333/208, 13.3 BB%, 37.8 K%, 45 PA, EV= 93.0, maxEV= 111.8, 54.5 Hard Hit%.
After missing much of 2022 and winter ball with a bad back, Luciano stayed mostly healthy after a late start on the season which was task #1. He's been a top Giants prospect for several years now, so much so that it's hard to believe he played his first MLB game at age 21 and won't turn 23 until near the end of his rookie season. Speaking of which, barring an unexpected development between now and Opening Day, Luciano will be the Giants starting SS.
Luciano's biggest weakness in 2023 was a sky-high K rate. This was partially offset by a high walk rate. When he did make contact, it was mostly hard contact. For comparison's sake, Luis Matos' EV was about 87 and his hard hit rate was about 31%, max EV of 108.4. The just-signed Jorge Soler, who is known for hitting the ball hard, had an EV of 91.3 and a 46 Hard Hit%, 114.8 max EV. If there were better options on the FA or trade markets I would say let him get a bit more salt in AAA but Luciano's mean projection is as good or better than any available alternatives and his ceiling is far higher. If things don't work out, he can go down with Tyler Fitzgerald or Casey Schmitt as depth option and I do expect the Giants to add some sort of backup MI by Opening Day.
Backup SS: Otto Lopez?
ReplyDeleteSan Francisco Giants traded Cash Considerations for Blue Jays SS Otto Lopez.
From Brady Klopfer (McCovey Chronicles, always a good read):
"A right-handed hitter who turned 25 a few months ago, López is a super intriguing player. He had excellent offensive numbers at every stop until AAA, including emerging from the pandemic to hit .331/.398/.457 (136 wRC+) in AA in 2021 during his age-22 season. He’s an extremely low-power player, having hit just 19 home runs in 2,202 career Minor League plate appearances. But he sure knows how to tally the hits and walks without striking out. He’s a career .298 hitter in the Minors, and has kept his strikeout rate below 20% at every stop, accruing just 320 Ks in those aforementioned 2,202 plate appearances. He also has excellent speed, though to this point he hasn’t been able to put it to too much use in the stolen base department, nabbing 90 bags in 127 attempts across 510 MiLB games.
"Lopez has the defensive versatility that Farhan Zaidi covets ... the kind that will put him right in camp competition with Tyler Fitzgerald and Brett Wisely. He’s played every position except pitcher, catcher, and first base during his Minor League tenure, and last season spent significant time at shortstop, third base, center field, and left field.
"There are caveats. Lopez had a mediocre 102 wRC+ in his first AAA stint in 2021, and while he bumped it up to a more respectable 114 in 2022, that number fell to a putrid 65 in 2023, as his batting average dropped to .258, he rocked a career-worst 6.6% walk rate, and he had just 17 extra-base hits in 346 plate appearances."
So is Otto Lopez the new backup SS? Sounds like par.
ReplyDeleteLuciano's biggest weakness is being injury prone.
ReplyDelete