The arrival of the offseason means that it's time to rank stuff. Already this winter, we've sized up the 60 best free agents, both on an overall and positional basis. There's no law that prevents us from ranking minor-league players in addition to their big-league counterparts. As such, we're going to spend the winter evaluating every team's farm system.
The lack of a minor-league season makes that more of a challenge this year. It doesn't help that some teams opted against sharing video and data from their alternate-site camps with the rest of the league. As such, we've opted against overthinking this. Our rankings will essentially be the same as they were last winter with a few changes. First, we'll exclude anyone who graduated by exhausting their rookie eligibility; second, we'll replace them with draftees or other worthy prospects; and third, and lastly, we'll present the information in a new format.
In every article in this series, you'll find a team's top five prospects as well as five others we felt like including, either because of their promise or some other reason. For those top five prospects, you'll find a quick summation of their pros (their saving grace, if one will) and their cons (their fault line), as well as beefier report and our attempt to peg their "likeliest outcome."
These rankings were compiled by talking to industry folks -- scouts, analysts, and other evaluators -- and include a touch of our own evaluative biases. Remember, that this is more of an art than a science, and that the write-ups matter more than the rankings themselves.
Now, let's get on to the top five prospects in the San Francisco Giants system.
1. Heliot Ramos, OF
Age (as of 4/1/2021): 21
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 188 pounds
Acquired: No. 19 pick in 2017 draft (Leadership Christian Academy, Puerto Rico)
Highest level: Double-A
Saving grace: Power
Fault line: Defensive home
Scouting report: Ramos isn't going to stick in center field. What he is going to do, in all likelihood, is hit for power. Ramos did see his K rate spike to over 30 percent during a 25-game stint in Double-A -- about six percentage points higher than his High-A rate. It's only fair to give him a chance to make adjustments before raising the red flag; that established, it's difficult to be a consistently above-average big-league hitter when you're striking out that frequently.
Likeliest outcome: Power-hitting corner outfielder
2. Marco Luciano, SS
Age (as of 4/1/2021): 19
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 178 pounds
Acquired: International amateur free-agent signing (Dominican Republic)
Highest level: Low-A
Saving grace: Offensive upside
Fault line: Inexperience
Scouting report: Luciano, who won't turn 20 until next September, will probably head this list next year -- and maybe for a few more after that. He has star-level upside thanks to a projectable frame; great bat speed; and natural loft. His defensive home is to be determined -- he's probably not sticking at shortstop and may have to slide to the outfield, depending on how his body matures -- but it almost doesn't matter. All the tools are here for an impact-level hitter. It's just a matter of him getting the necessary repetitions, staying healthy, and developing on schedule.
Likeliest outcome: Object of many dreams from Giants fans; possible star-level hitter
3. Joey Bart, C
Age (as of 4/1/2021): 24
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 238 pounds
Acquired: No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft (Seminole High School, Florida)
Highest level: MLB
Saving grace: Power
Fault line: Approach
Scouting report: Bart was the first of three (and counting) consecutive first-round collegiate position players drafted by the Giants. Predictably, he was also the first of the three to reach the majors. Bart isn't likely to blossom into a star-level contributor; he should have a career based on his raw power and his defensive capabilities -- though it is worth noting that other teams' internal metrics suggest that he's more of an average framer than an elite one.
Likeliest outcome: Second-division starter
4. Patrick Bailey, C
Age (as of 4/1/2021): 21
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 207 pounds
Acquired: No. 13 pick in the 2020 draft (North Carolina State)
Highest level: NCAA
Saving grace: Pop and defense
Fault line: Hit tool
Scouting report: Bailey became the first catcher off the board when the Giants selected him 13th overall, just two years after using their first pick to nab Bart. His boosters believe he'll finish his development with four average or better tools, including raw power. Those who aren't as sweet on Bailey question whether his hit tool will allow for his power to matter against advanced pitching. Whatever the case, his framing and throwing give him a high floor.
Likeliest outcome: Second-division starter
5. Hunter Bishop, OF
Age (as of 4/1/2021): 22
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 210 pounds
Acquired: No. 10 pick in the 2019 draft (Arizona State)
Highest level: Low-A
Saving grace: Physical gifts
Fault line: Hit tool
Scouting report: Bishop runs well and has above-average raw strength. That combination makes him a potentially dynamic talent. The catch is that he might not make contact consistently enough for it to matter. Bishop punched out in 27 percent of his professional plate appearances in 2019 after exhibiting shaky pitch recognition skills in college. If he can improve in that regard just a little, he could become a starting-caliber outfielder, perhaps even in center. It seems more likely that he takes too many empty cuts to live up to his promise.
Likeliest outcome: Strikeout-prone fourth outfielder
Five others to know
- Seth Corry, LHP
Corry recorded 172 strikeouts in 122 innings during the 2019 season. He's not in the top five because he also walked 58 batters and the raw stuff doesn't align with the numbers. That doesn't mean Corry is bad or without merits -- his stuff is average or better across the board still -- it just means that he's probably not the ace in the making that his statistics suggested.
- Sean Hjelle, RHP
Hjelle is a tall -- as in, "he's listed at 6-foot-11" tall -- and athletic right-hander who projects as a potential back-end starter. He doesn't have a knockout offering, but the abnormality of his release point and his above-average control ought to allow his mostly average arsenal to play up. He closed the 2019 season in Double-A, meaning there's a fair chance he debuts late in 2021.
- Alexander Canario, OF
Canario recently underwent labrum surgery on his non-throwing shoulder that figures to impact his availability for the onset of the season. Even so, his prospect status has and will continue to hinge on the long-term value he could offer the Giants. He has a fast bat and the raw strength that, in combination, could make him a big-time run producer. Canario will turn 21 in May.
- Will Wilson, SS
The Giants netted Wilson as part of the Zack Cozart salary dump from the Angels last winter. Wilson had been a first-round pick thanks to his pro-caliber swing and ability to play the middle infield. He struck out a lot during his professional debut, which is worrisome. If Wilson can get his K rate under control, he could develop into a reserve, if not a second-division starter.
- Logan Wyatt, 1B
Wyatt, San Francisco's second-round pick in 2019, is a big-bodied first baseman without big-body power. He homered just 15 times during his collegiate career at Louisville, and his isolated slugging failed to top .100 during his first taste of the low minors. Wyatt does have a good eye and a feel for contact, but it's going to be an uphill road for him to reach the majors without greater power output.