Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

The list of high school catchers from Puerto Rico obviously starts with Yadier Molina, a fourth rounder back in 2000, but it also includes successful big leaguers like Geovany Soto (11th round, 2001) and Christian Vazquez (ninth round, 2008). While Luciano may not go as early as Molina did, solid performances in the PDP League last summer and at this June’s MLB Draft Combine have helped cement him as a solid Day 2 option for teams searching for depth behind the plate.

Luciano comes from the always-popular left-handed hitting backstop demographic. He has a hit-over-power profile right now, with a solid approach and an ability to make consistent hard contact. There’s good line drive gap power right now, and he has shown the ability to turn on pitches and drive them to his pull side a bit more this spring compared to last summer, with some evaluators thinking he could grow into 12-15 homers a year kind of pop. He’s not a runner, but he’s athletic and won’t be a base-clogger, even as he slows down over time behind the plate.

Still just 17 on Draft day, Luciano has the kind of arm strength teams covet from their catchers, though he needs to keep working on his exchange to maximize that tool as well as his receiving and framing. The good news is the Miami (Ohio) recruit has been working on those facets of his game with none other than Molina, with confidence he’ll be a very solid backup at worst, with the chance to develop into a big league regular the best case outcome.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Hailing from Puerto Rico, Luciano used good performances at the PDP League and MLB Draft Combine to help his Draft stock going into his senior year in 2024. The D-backs selected the then-17-year-old in the second round that July, making him the highest prep player selected from the island since Edwin Arroyo also went in the second round in 2021. After signing for $990,000, Luciano spent most of his first full season in the Arizona Complex League, hitting .275/.398/.382 with two homers and a 31/28 K/BB ratio over 44 games. He was promoted to Single-A Visalia for three games in the final week of the season.

Luciano seems to see the ball well out of a simple left-handed setup in the box, featuring a load with his legs. He was willing to take his walks against wild ACL arms, not an unexpected skill for a backstop who sees so many pitches on defense anyways. Standing only 5-foot-10, he isn’t a big power threat at this very early stage of his career, but he’s impressed D-backs officials with how he’s hitting the ball harder in early spring work, thanks to improved lower-half strength and body efficiency. 

His best defensive asset entering Year 2 is his above-average arm strength, and he used it to throw out 28.8 percent of attempted basestealers in the ACL. That improved lower-half foundation should help his work behind the plate too, and he briefly shared a Puerto Rican Winter League roster with Gold Glove winner Martín Maldonado in the offseason. Tackling a true full summer season will be Luciano’s next hurdle as he gains steam in pro ball.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

The most famous Puerto Rican catcher to enter professional baseball through the Draft is potential future Hall of Famer and 2000 fourth-rounder Yadier Molina, but others like Geovany Soto, Martín Maldonado and Christian Vázquez give the list extra heft. Luciano could be next in line after good showings in the PDP League and MLB Draft Combine pushed him into the second round to the D-backs last July. He signed below slot for $990,000, the seventh-highest bonus given to a Puerto Rico native since the bonus-pool era began in 2012.

Left-handed-hitting catchers will always garner attention from scouts, and Luciano checks that box straight out of the gate. He can make consistent hard contact and shows a solid approach. It’s hit-over-power right now, but he showed a better ability to tap into his pullside pop as a senior heading into the Draft. Though he’s a below-average runner, Luciano has enough athleticism to keep the carousel moving when he’s on base.

The 5-foot-10 backstop brings plenty of arm strength to the table, and if he can improve his exchanges, he could give opposing runners plenty to consider. His receiving and framing will also need attention as he enters pro ball, but it’s important to remember he was only 17 at the time of the Draft. Luciano even worked on the defensive side of his game with Molina, notable considering Arizona thought of him as a bat-first catcher at the start of his career. Luciano will have plenty of time and space to become a well-rounded player at a premium position.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

The list of high school catchers from Puerto Rico obviously starts with Yadier Molina, a fourth rounder back in 2000, but it also includes successful big leaguers like Geovany Soto (11th round, 2001) and Christian Vazquez (ninth round, 2008). Solid performances in the PDP League last summer and at this June’s MLB Draft Combine helped cement Luciano as a Draft option, and the D-backs selected him higher than any of the aforementioned backstops with a second-round selection. Luciano signed for below slot at $990,000.

Luciano comes from the always-popular left-handed-hitting backstop demographic. He has a hit-over-power profile right now, with a solid approach and an ability to make consistent hard contact. There’s good line drive gap power right now, and he has shown the ability to turn on pitches and drive them to his pull side a bit more this spring compared to last summer, with some evaluators thinking he could grow into 12-15 homers a year kind of pop. He’s not a runner, but he’s athletic and won’t clog the bases, even as he slows down over time behind the plate.

Still just 17 on Draft day, Luciano has the kind of arm strength teams covet from their catchers, though he needs to keep working on his exchange to maximize that tool as well as his receiving and framing. The good news is the former Miami (Ohio) recruit has been working on those facets of his game with none other than Molina, with confidence he’ll be a very solid backup at worst, with the chance to develop into a big league regular the best-case outcome for the D-backs.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/05/2026	C Ivan Luciano assigned to Arizona D-backs Prospects.
	02/23/2026	C Ivan Luciano assigned to Arizona Diamondbacks.
	11/06/2025	C Ivan Luciano assigned to Indios de Mayaguez.
	09/03/2025	C Ivan Luciano assigned to Visalia Rawhide from ACL D-backs.
	03/06/2025	activated C Ivan Luciano.
	08/05/2024	C Ivan Luciano assigned to ACL D-backs.
	08/05/2024	ACL D-backs activated C Ivan Luciano.
	07/22/2024	Arizona Diamondbacks signed C Ivan Luciano.
	06/16/2024	College Workout activated C Ivan Luciano.
	05/29/2024	C Ivan Luciano assigned to College Workout.
	09/26/2023	C Ivan Luciano assigned to High School Workout.