NRIs: infielders

Marco Luciano is all of 19 years old (he turns 20 in September) but he’s rated by FanGraphs as the no. 2 prospect in the Giants organization. He signed as an amateur free agent when he was 16 years old. You can do that in the Dominican Republic (Luciano is from San Pedro de Macoris) and other places like Venezuela. You have to be 17 if you are from the United States. The Giants were willing to risk $2.6M on this teenage phenom so it should be fun to follow his progress.

Luciano is projected as a slugging shortstop or third baseman. He raked (.322/.438/.616) in the Arizona League (rookie-level) in 2019, hitting 10 homers, 9 doubles, and 2 triples in 38 games. He spent 2020 at the so-called “alternate site.” Luciano is right-handed and listed at 6′-2″ and 178 lbs.

Another interesting fellow is Will Wilson, a 2B/SS from North Carolina. He was the first-round pick (#15) in the 2019 draft for the Angels after tearing it up at NC State. The Giants, trading cash and a PTBNL (who turned out to be LHP Garrett Williams), took on Zack Cozart and his big salary in order to land Wilson. Cozart was released after the 2019 season and did not play in MLB in 2020. The Giants also have the #10 pick from that same draft, OF Hunter Bishop, who I wrote about yesterday. Wilson is listed as the no. 7 prospect in the system. He will be 23 in June.

Three infielders get the invite to camp, the last one being lefty first baseman Logan Wyatt. He was a 2nd-round pick (#51) from, you guessed it, the 2019 draft. Wyatt is from Kentucky and played college ball at Louisville. He’s big, listed at 6′-4″ and 230 lbs., but is known for his high OBP rather than his slugging. Scouts like his contact skills and expect his power hitting to emerge. He will be 24 in November and will likely be assigned to AA.

–M.C.