Here are the Giants' 2023 Top 30 prospects
Jim Callis
@JimCallisMLBThe Giants might have had the most volatile farm system in 2022: Several prospects had breakout years, but several others had disappointing seasons.
Left-hander Kyle Harrison and shortstop Marco Luciano remained the top prospects in the system and two of the best in baseball. Harrison led the Minors among qualified hurlers in strikeouts per nine innings (14.8) and K percentage (39.8) while thriving in Double-A at age 20, and Luciano continued to show impressive power at the same age in High-A despite a back injury.
In other positive developments, toolsy outfielders Grant McCray and Vaun Brown each topped 20 homers and 40 steals, slick-fielding third baseman Casey Schmitt began tapping into his power more consistently and shortstop Aeverson Arteaga impressed with his glove and bat. Right-handers Landen Roupp and Keaton Winn suddenly blossomed into two of the organization's better pitching prospects.
But since selecting Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey and Zack Wheeler with Top 10 picks in 2006-09, San Francisco has had little success in the first round, a trend that continued last year. Outfielders Heliot Ramos (2017) and Hunter Bishop (2019) haven't done much offensively in the Minors, Joey Bart (2018) struggled to fill Posey's shoes in the Majors, Patrick Bailey (2020) batted .225 in High-A and Will Bednar (2021) saw his stuff regress as he dealt with a stress reaction in his lower back. All of them ranked in the Top 10 on our Giants Top 30 a year ago, and none did this time around.
Here's a look at the Giants' top prospects:
1. Kyle Harrison, LHP (MLB No. 18)
2. Marco Luciano, SS (MLB No. 22)
3. Grant McCray, OF
4. Casey Schmitt, 3B/SS
5. Vaun Brown, OF
Complete Top 30 list »
Biggest jump/fall
Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the 2022 preseason list to the 2023 preseason list.
Jump: Vaun Brown, OF (2022: unranked | 2023: 5) -- A $7,500 fifth-year senior sign as a 10th-rounder out of NCAA Division II Florida Southern in 2021, he parlayed his loud tools into leading the Minors in hitting (.346) and OPS (1.060), while ranking second in slugging percentage (.623) and sixth in OBP (.437) during his first full pro season.
Fall: Hunter Bishop, OF (2022: 9 | 2023: unranked) -- The best college athlete and the No. 10 overall pick in the 2019 Draft hasn't been able to stay healthy or get going offensively as a pro.
Best tools
Players are graded on a 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: 55 -- Marco Luciano (Rayner Arias, Luis Matos)
Power: 65 -- Marco Luciano
Run: 70 -- Vaun Brown (Grant McCray)
Arm: 65 -- Adrian Sugastey
Defense: 65 -- Casey Schmitt
Fastball: 70 -- Cole Waites (Reggie Crawford)
Curveball: 65 -- Landen Roupp (R.J. Dabovich)
Slider: 65 -- Randy Rodriguez
Changeup: 70 -- Carson Whisenhunt
Control: 55 -- Ryan Murphy
How they were built
Draft: 19 | International: 9 | Trade: 2
Breakdown by ETA
2023: 6 | 2024: 14 | 2025: 8 | 2027: 1 | 2028: 1
Breakdown by position
C: 2 | 2B: 1 | 3B: 1 | SS: 3 | OF: 6 | RHP: 14 | LHP: 3