Could Forgotten Top Prospect Contribute for the Giants in 2025?
Marco Luciano has struggled in his limited time in the big leagues. Can he turn things around and contribute for the Giants in 2025?

If you were to check any of the San Francisco Giants prospect rankings from 2021 to 2023, you would find Marco Luciano at the top of every single one. For a three-year run, he was considered the future of the organization and the replacement for an organization icon in Brandon Crawford.
However, the Dominican ex-shortstop has struggled in his brief stints in the major leagues up to this point. With him now being moved off of shortstop, his future is murkier than ever.
Even with this type of uncertainty, his name was buzzing last weekend at the Giants’ FanFest event in San Jose. Will Luciano be able to carve out a significant role in San Francisco in 2025?
Tough Transition
Luciano’s major league career has gotten off to a rocky start. In 126 plate appearances, the 23-year-old is slashing just .217/.286/.304 with zero home runs and three RBIs.
These stats are a far cry from the power-hitting potential that made him a top prospect. It is clear that he has had a tough time finding his footing at this level, posting a 68 wRC+ and a disappointing -0.6 fWAR.
Luciano’s struggles were not limited to just the batter’s box. Defensively, Luciano was abysmal at shortstop.
In just over 166 innings at the position, he posted -4 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and -3 Outs Above Average (OAA). One could argue that the eye test for Luciano might have looked even worse than those numbers, as he struggled with routine plays at times.
Marco Luciano the Outfielder?
Because of the numbers and his struggles at shortstop, the organization opted to move Luciano into the outfield at the end of the 2024 season. His transition away from shortstop has been one of the more interesting storylines of the offseason.
While he has primarily worked in left field, he has still taken reps at infield spots this offseason to stay ready for any potential role this upcoming season.
This move to the outfield was further cemented by the Giants’ newest acquisition, Willy Adames. He will anchor shortstop for the foreseeable future. Despite essentially taking Luciano’s old position, Adames expressed excitement about mentoring Luciano and helping him find his footing in the big leagues.
According to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, Adames said, “My message to him will be, ‘Hey visualize how you can help the team at any position… Then from there you’re making adjustments. And if you need my help, I’ll be there for you.’”
Meanwhile, president of baseball operations, Buster Posey, expressed his confidence in Luciano and emphasized the importance of letting Luciano return to playing his game.
Posey said, “We’d love for Marco to be a big part of this going forward. The talent is there, that’s been well-documented for a while now.”
Posey also brought up the example of Heliot Ramos, who was a victim of prospect fatigue that finally broke out in 2024. The exec said, “Ramos is a great example of a guy that was a highly-touted prospect and scuffled a little bit and then for whatever reason something was unlocked this year, an adjustment was made, and hopefully that’s something that Luciano is going to be able to unleash, as well.”
Luciano’s shift to the outfield also comes at an interesting time when the Giants already have a few young outfield pieces currently in the picture. Luis Matos, Grant McCray, and even Wade Meckler have cemented themselves as young options behind the starting guys.
With competition for outfield spots intensifying, Luciano’s bat will prove crucial to his chances of carving out a consistent role for the team by the bay.
Can Luciano Contribute for the Giants This Year?
PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | HR | RBI |
118 | .219 | .302 | .342 | 2 | 11 |
Despite Luciano’s big-league struggles and unfavorable projections for 2025, it’s worth noting that he has solid minor league numbers. Across five seasons in the minors, he’s posted a .257/.361/.456 slash line with 65 home runs and 231 RBIs.
The potential for power is still there, and with a regime change, an adjustment in development ideologies could help him provide an offensive spark to San Francisco’s lineup in the future.
The key for Luciano will be how he handles his new role and if he can improve at the plate. If he takes well to left field and returns to putting up something similar to his minor league numbers, he could emerge as a valuable piece for the organization’s future, whether it’s as an everyday starter or a useful platoon depth option.
Last Thoughts
For now, Luciano remains a work in progress with several outfielders ahead of him on the depth chart. However, with a fresh outlook, valuable mentorship, and opportunities for further development, there is still a path for the 23-year-old to be a contributor for the Giants.
The 2025 season will be an important year for Luciano and define his future with the organization beyond this year.