Get to know the name Marco Luciano, Giants fan.
You know about catcher Joey Bart. You know about center fielder Heliot Ramos. Now it's time to learn about the 17-year-old shortstop.
With the Arizona Rookie League underway, fans are finally starting to see the Giants' No. 3 prospect actually show his potential on a professional field. And it's eye-popping.
In only his third professional game, Luciano hit his first professional home run on Wednesday and fell a single shy of the cycle. He finished 3-for-5 with a homer, triple, double, two runs scored, two RBI and a walk for the AZL Giants Orange.
"It was like Christmas morning today waking up and being able to watch those at-bats," Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said Thursday on KNBR. "It's really exciting what he did."
Luciano followed the performance with even more impressive one Friday. He went 4-for-4 with three RBI and three runs, and he went deep for the second straight game. This one was a no-doubter, too.
17-year-old Marco Luciano, the #SFGiants' No. 3 prospect, with a no-doubter out to left. pic.twitter.com/z8LYkm6QRw— William Boor (@wboor) June 22, 2019
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Zaidi isn't one to cast unfair comparisons on players, but when raving about Luciano, he brought up a name that should drop some jaws.
"I remember -- and I'm not comparing these guys -- but Mike Trout when he first went out in the Arizona League after he was drafted, he just went bananas and everybody knew he was special right away."
Through four games in the Arizona Rookie League, Luciano is now batting .412 with two home runs and a 1.415 OPS. It's a small, small sample size, but it's another reason for optimism in the future as the present remains bleak.
[RELATED: Watch Giants' prospect Luciano hit second Rookie-ball homer]
"You try not to cast too much judgement on how a guy does early on with a small sample and you know it's going to be an adjustment and things evolve over time," Zaidi said. "But when a guy goes out and makes that much noise early on, it's pretty exciting."
While Bart and Ramos are regarded as the Giants' top-two prospects by most outlets, Luciano has the highest upside. He doesn't turn 18 until September, and even if he moves positions down the road, his plus-power and athleticism should play anywhere on the field.
