All teams lost out on development opportunities when the coronavirus pandemic wiped out the 2020 Minor League season, but the Giants may have been affected more than most. They have a farm system on the rise and many of their best prospects would have made their full-season debuts last year.

Eight of the first 12 players on MLB Pipeline's Giants Top 30 have yet to play at the full-season level. Shortstop Marco Luciano, outfielders Hunter Bishop and Alexander Canario and third baseman Luis Toribio advanced to short-season ball in 2019. Outfielder Luis Matos and middle infielder Will Wilson debuted in Rookie ball that summer, while catcher Patrick Bailey and left-hander Kyle Harrison have yet to play in an official pro game since getting drafted last July.

"We're definitely very deep and heavy in prospects, which is good, but most of them are concentrated in the lower levels," San Francisco farm director Kyle Haines said. "Last year would have been a big year for development. We do feel good with the work that got done in instructional league and this spring.

"We'll see how it goes. Low-A could have a mix of guys who might have been in High A this year, or at the short-season level if that still existed."

The Giants have yet to finalize assignments for the 2021 Minor League season, which opens on May 4. Bishop, Bailey and Wilson, all of whom have college experience, should be able to handle a jump to High-A Eugene. Luciano, Matos and Harrison (all 19 years old) and Canario and Toribio (both 20) might fit better at Low-A San Jose.

Luciano is equipped to move quickly for a teenager. Signed for $2.6 million out of the Dominican Republic, he has bat speed and raw power that rank among the best anywhere in the Minors and he has a higher ceiling than any San Francisco prospect since Buster Posey. In his pro debut two years ago, he batted .302/.417/.564 with 25 extra-base hits, 32 walks and nine steals in 47 games between two levels.

"We had Luciano in big league camp and he never had faced that quality of pitching," Haines said. "It's good to see him grow and take what he's learned into Minor League camp and look really good. He hit two homers against the A's the other day. He doesn't have flashy actions at shortstop, but he has very sure hands and makes all the plays he's supposed to make."

Camp standouts
Harrison was the best healthy high school left-hander in the 2020 Draft, so San Francisco was thrilled to get him in the third round, where they signed him for $2,497,500 (the equivalent of late first-round money). He was known more for his polish than his power as a California prepster, usually working at 90-93 mph with his fastball and throwing strikes with three pitches from a deceptive delivery.

In shorter stints during instructional league, Harrison operated at 94-95 mph and touched 97 and also displayed more power with his slider. He has maintained that stuff during Minor League Spring Training in Phoenix and the Giants can't wait to see what he does in his first official game action.

"Harrison's velocity is staying in the mid-90s and touching the upper 90s, and his breaking ball still is probably his best pitch," Haines said. "I don't know how that we can expect 98 all season but it's nice to know that's in the tank. It's exciting. Now we’ve got to progress and see how it plays out."

One of the most positive developments has been Canario's sooner than expected return to full health after he dislocated his left (non-throwing) arm during instructional league. But his rehab from surgery went better than expected, he's taking part in Minor League camp and will be ready for Opening Day. The last time he saw game action, he batted .318/.377/.623 with 16 homers in 59 games between two levels in 2019.

Alternate training site
Right-hander Gregory Santos is another pitcher who has built on momentum from instructional league, where he dealt at 97-100 mph with his fastball and backed it up with a double-plus slider that reached the 90s. He showed the same stuff at the club's alternate site in Sacramento, the home of its Triple-A affiliate, and earned his first big league promotion on Thursday.

Part of the Eduardo Nunez trade with the Red Sox in 2017, Santos made his big league debut the same day against the Marlins. He retired the side in order in the sixth inning with two strikeouts while averaging 98 mph with his fastball and 90 mph his slider.

"That's the way he looked in the fall," Haines said. "It's always hard calling up somebody who's never been above Low-A, but you have to believe in your evaluations. Moving to shorter stints did a lot for his stuff and command. I think he'll stay in the pen because that's what we need and will give him the best chance to succeed."

After batting .410/.425/.718 with three homers in 39 Cactus League at-bats, outfielder Heliot Ramos is continuing his development at the alt site for now. The 19th overall pick in the 2017 Draft as a Puerto Rican high schooler, he's looking more polished at the plate and in center field.

"He's having better at-bats now after being a hacker a little bit when he was in Low-A," Haines said. "He's really adapted and gotten better at hitting quality pitching. He's better in the outfield too. He's allowing his tools to play up more than just relying on his natural talent."

Prospects we'll be talking about in 2022
The Giants currently have five prospects on MLB Pipeline's overall Top 100, and Matos could join them this year. Signed for $725,000 out of Venezuela in 2017, he placed third in hitting (.362) and OPS (1.000) in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League in 2019 before coming to the United States and going 7-for-16 in the Rookie-level Arizona League. He's an advanced hitter with developing power and the chance for average or better tools across the board.

Acquired from the Twins in a three-prospect package for Sam Dyson in July 2019, right-hander Kai-Wei Teng is a deeper sleeper who could progress rapidly. He excelled in Low A two years ago at age 20, going 7-0 with a 1.58 ERA and a .510 opponent OPS, but didn't come to the United States amid the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. He works with four mostly average pitches, but they play up because he has a knack for reading swings, sequencing his pitches and locating them with precision.

"I honestly think people are light on Teng," Haines said. "He shows an above-average fastball as a starting pitcher and has two offspeed pitches that get swings and misses. He throws strikes, has a great delivery and he performs."