After slow start, Luciano heating up

This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado’s Giants Beat publication. To learn the complete publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it usually in your inbox.

Given his super offensive upside, it was most likely solely a matter of time earlier than Marco Luciano acquired going on the plate after a sluggish begin to the season at Double-A Richmond. The 21-year-old shortstop actually appears to be trending in that route.

Luciano, who’s ranked the Giants’ No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline, entered Saturday batting .476 (10-for-21) with 4 house runs, one double, 5 walks and 10 RBIs over his final six video games, an indication that he’s starting to search out his swing after lacking the primary month of the Minor League season with a again damage that he suffered whereas enjoying winter ball in his native Dominican Republic. 

Luciano slashed solely .157/.271/.352 with 5 house runs over his first 30 video games with the Flying Squirrels, however he’s appeared extra like himself during the last week, breaking out of his extended hunch with an enormous two-homer sport towards Altoona on June 10. He continued his energy surge on Wednesday, crushing a 432-foot house run that hit off the scoreboard in right-center area at Bowie. 

Despite sitting out April whereas rehabbing, Luciano now leads Richmond with 9 homers and ranks third on the workforce with 25 RBIs this yr. 

Fellow prime prospects Luis Matos and Patrick Bailey each earned fast promotions to Triple-A Sacramento (and later the Majors) after placing collectively scorching stretches at Double-A Richmond earlier this season, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see Luciano take the same leap ahead if he stays wholesome and productive within the coming weeks.

“We feel like he has a chance to make an impact at the Major League level as soon as this season,” supervisor Gabe Kapler stated again in Spring Training. “A lot of that is going to be based on if he’s able to keep this momentum. I feel really good about where he is physically. He’s in a positive frame of mind and happy to be out on a baseball field.”

Here are another standouts from the Giants’ 4 full-season Minor League associates: 

• Left-hander Kyle Harrison earned his first Triple-A win after permitting two runs on three hits over a season-high 5 innings in Sacramento’s 10-3 win over Sugar Land on Thursday. Harrison, the Giants’ No. 1 prospect, struck out eight and walked two, leaving his ERA at 3.42 over 14 begins this yr.

• After lacking 12 video games as a result of damage, outfielder Wade Meckler (No. 30) returned to motion on June 10 and continued his breakout season on the plate, reaching base seven occasions (three hits and 4 walks) in his first 4 video games again with the Flying Squirrels. The 23-year-old entered Saturday main all Minor League hitters (min. 120 PA) with a .402 batting common over 30 video games this season.

• With an 11-4 win over Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, the Giants clinched the primary half North Division title for the primary time since 2013. San Jose entered Saturday with a league-best 39-22 document and can head to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Infielder Diego Velasquez has been one of many membership’s prime hitters, batting .339 with an .899 OPS and 4 homers over 50 video games in 2023.