SF Giants’ Luis Matos keeps climbing prospect rankings, drawing lofty comparisons

PHOENIX — Out of the a few significant prospective clients to be a part of the Giants in their 2018 global class, Luis Matos was, at least by signing bonus, the 3rd of the team.

But he’s fast ascended to the prime of the Giants’ prospect lists — and he could be the best outfield prospect they have had in a long time.

Shortstop Marco Luicano led the 2018 class with a $2.6 million signing reward and outfielder Jairo Pomares bought $975,000. Matos was regarded well sufficient to sign for $675,000, but outdoors evaluators weren’t as positive of him as they had been of Pomares, let by yourself Luciano.

Just to identify a single prospect evaluator as an example, Fangraphs didn’t have Matos in its May well 2019 rating of the top Giants prospects — not in the Prime 29 or even in the honorable mentions.

But Hector Borg, the Giants’ coordinator of Latin American enhancement, remembers what stood out to him and the firm back again when they signed Matos was his commitment to his craft.

“He was a child with a great deal of electrical power, working,” Borg claimed. “He compensated interest to a whole lot of minor aspects and I consider that is why he’s developing so quick.”

And alternatively speedily, Matos set up quantities that made eyes pop. His sensational fifty percent-period in 2019 — when his OPS was over 1.000 in the two the Dominican and Arizona Rookie Leagues throughout 60 full game titles — shot the then-17-12 months-old Matos into the prospect stratosphere. In a November 2019 update of the prime Giants prospects, Fangraphs experienced Matos fifth in the full business.

Now, entering 2022, Matos is possibly second or 3rd in the Giants rankings, based on wherever you search, and is a consensus Major 100 prospect across the a variety of products and services. And it has grow to be a genuine query as to irrespective of whether he or Luciano has a increased ceiling.

The trio of Luciano, Pomares and Matos all opened 2021 at Low-A San Jose and experienced potent begins to the season (though an injuries saved Pomares sidelined right until June). Curiously, the Giants promoted each Luciano and Pomares to Superior-A Eugene but not Matos, who stayed in San Jose for all of 2021.

Both equally Luciano and Pomares both experienced some struggles at the larger level, placing out at significantly bigger clips with the Emeralds than they had prior to. Back again down in San Jose, Matos stored making, hitting .328 with 4 homers in 81 plate appearances and tallying a lot more walks (11) than strikeouts (seven).

Matos felt remaining down and ending with a flurry in San Jose was useful — and a important portion of getting household the Low-A West MVP trophy after ending the 12 months with an .853 OPS, 15 homers, 86 RBI and 21 stolen bases.

“I imagine it did assistance currently being there the total calendar year,” Matos mentioned by way of Spanish language translator Erwin Higueros. “I was able to be far more selective, be extra consistent with my figures. I imagine which is also what assisted me acquire the MVP.”

Whilst he needs to be additional selective on which pitches he swings at to make “more solid make contact with,” he’s received a strong tackle on the strike zone currently, only putting out 61 periods in 491 plate appearances while drawing 28 walks in 2021. That eyesight at the plate is something Borg suggests the Giants have viewed considering the fact that prior to they even signed him.