Breaking down Giants' new Top 30 prospects

This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado’s Giants Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants have been among the most rookie-fueled teams in the Majors, with nine prospects debuting with the club in 2023.

More graduations appear to be on the horizon in San Francisco, where a new core of young players is beginning to energize a franchise that has thrived on homegrown talent in the past. Catcher Patrick Bailey, center fielder Luis Matos and infielders Marco Luciano and Casey Schmitt have already broken through on the position player side, and right-handers Tristan Beck, Keaton Winn and Ryan Walker have impressed in their stints on the big league pitching staff.

The upward mobility has resulted in some changes to the Giants’ Top 30 prospects list, which has been freshly revamped by MLB Pipeline to reflect the club’s 2023 draftees and other notable developments within the farm system.

Here’s a look at the Giants’ top prospects:

1. Kyle Harrison, LHP (MLB No. 20)
2. Marco Luciano, SS (MLB No. 27)
3. Carson Whisenhunt, LHP (MLB No. 76)
4. Bryce Eldridge, RHP/1B
5. Walker Martin, SS

Complete Top 30 list »

Biggest jump/fall

Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the preseason list:

Jump: Wade Meckler, OF (Preseason: NR | Midseason: No. 11)

A 2022 eighth-round Draft pick out of Oregon State, Meckler has emerged as one of the top hitters in the Minors in his first full season in pro ball, batting an eye-popping .378 with a .980 OPS and five home runs in 68 games across three different levels. The 23-year-old earned a promotion to Triple-A Sacramento at the beginning of August, leaving him only a step away from completing his improbable rise to the Majors.

Fall: Will Bednar, RHP (Preseason: No. 16 | Midseason: No. 27)

The 14th overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft, Bednar’s development has been stalled by injuries, including a stress reaction in his lower back that sidelined him for most of last season. The 23-year-old right-hander was rehabbing in the Arizona Complex League earlier this summer, though he logged 4.22 ERA over four appearances and hasn’t pitched since June 22.

New to the list

Here are the players added to the Top 30 from outside the organization:

No. 4 Bryce Eldridge, RHP/1B (2023 first-round Draft pick)
No. 5 Walker Martin, SS (2023 second-round Draft pick)
No. 14 Joe Whitman, LHP (2023 second-round Draft pick)
No. 19 Maui Ahuna, SS (2023 fourth-round Draft pick)
No. 29 Cole Foster, SS (2023 third-round Draft pick)
No. 30 Erik Miller, LHP (acquired from the Phillies in exchange for Yunior Marte)

Impact callup

Kyle Harrison, LHP (No. 1)

The game's best left-handed pitching prospect missed most of July with a hamstring injury, but he's back and should be close to filling a hole in the Giants' rotation, which currently features only two traditional starters in Logan Webb and Alex Cobb. A 2020 third-round pick out of De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., Harrison overmatches hitters with a 92-97 mph fastball with carry, a sweeping low-80s slider and a lively mid-80s changeup. He has tallied a 4.52 ERA, .205 opponent average and 98 strikeouts in 61 2/3 Triple-A innings.

Best tools

Players are graded on a traditional 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.

Hit: 60 -- Wade Meckler
Power: 65 -- Marco Luciano
Run: 70 -- Vaun Brown (Grant McCray)
Arm: 65 -- Onil Perez (Adrian Sugastey)
Defense: 60 -- Maui Ahuna (Aeverson Arteaga, Vaun Brown)
Fastball: 70 -- Kyle Harrison (Reggie Crawford)
Curveball: 65 -- Landen Roupp
Slider: 65 -- Randy Rodriguez
Changeup: 70 -- Carson Whisenhunt
Control: 50 -- Landen Roupp (Will Bednar, Mason Black, Bryce Eldridge, Carson Whisenhunt, Joe Whitman, Keaton Winn)