Marco Luciano Claimed by Yankees After Clearing Waivers

This article follows the journey of Marco Luciano, who once stood out as the San Francisco Giants’ top prospect and a Futures Game star. A wild waiver ride has now brought him to the New York Yankees and their Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

How does a player with sky-high potential handle injuries, new positions, and constant roster changes across three organizations? What might this fresh shot mean for the Yankees as they tinker with their lineup?

Marco Luciano’s Roller-Coaster Path Through Waivers

Luciano’s climb paused again and again—hitting slumps, defensive doubts, and a string of roster moves all sent him searching for footing. Now, he’s in the Yankees’ farm system, where his right-handed power could actually fit a lineup heavy on lefties.

Luciano’s early promise turned heads with legit bat speed, raw power, and athleticism that reminded folks of those dynamic middle-infield types. Still, questions about his hitting and shaky defense at shortstop kept him from breaking through in San Francisco.

Early Promise and Hitting Ceiling

Prospect hype ran into tough big-league reality when Luciano, just 19 at the 2021 Futures Game, showed off his offensive upside. But his bat just didn’t progress enough to lock down a middle-infield spot defensively.

In 41 games with the Giants, he hit .217/.286/.304 over 126 plate appearances. Forty-five strikeouts and only 11 walks—numbers like that made teams nervous about committing to him as a regular, especially with his swing-and-miss issues.

Defensive Realignment and Injury Battles

His defense didn’t really do him any favors at shortstop. By 2024, the Giants moved him into a mix of LF, 1B, and DH, just trying to find a way to get something out of his bat.

Injuries kept piling up, slowing his development and making scouts weigh his power against a less impressive hit tool and inconsistent defense at key spots.

The Waiver Shuffle: Giants to Orioles to Yankees

The Giants took him off their 40-man roster in December to make room for the Rule 5 draft. That set off a domino effect: the Pirates grabbed him on Dec. 5, then let him go in a three-team deal that bounced him back to waivers.

The Orioles claimed him in January but DFA’d him a few days later to juggle their own roster. The Yankees picked him up next, only to DFA him again while moving relievers around. After two months of uncertainty, Luciano finally landed in the Yankees’ system with a simple goal: show he can be a right-handed power bat in a league that still cares about contact and discipline at the plate.

A Fresh Opportunity in New York: What the RailRiders Represent

Now with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Luciano faces a familiar crossroads. He needs to turn that raw power into real, consistent contact and handle high-level pitching in the Pacific Coast League.

He also has to fit into a Yankees squad that leans left-handed in its lineup construction. If Luciano can actually hit in AAA, he brings a potentially explosive depth piece to a franchise that loves international power and athleticism in the middle of the order.

The key? He has to make better swing decisions against quality minor-league arms. There’s also the question of whether his defense can settle into a spot that uses his athleticism best.

What to watch as Luciano progresses with the Yankees:

• Power vs. contact balance — Can he hit for average while still showing off that 70-grade raw power?
• Defensive versatility — Will he end up as a corner outfielder or first baseman, maybe carving out a bench or platoon role?
• Health and durability — Can he stay healthy and actually build some kind of reliable development timeline?
• Adjustment to AAA pitching — Does his approach shift enough to handle off-speed and breaking balls?

 
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