Good news: Farm is strongest it's been since ...

After winning three World Series in the first half of this decade and trying to keep their competitive window open as long as possible, the Giants are coming to grips with the understanding that they must rebuild. Despite remaining on the fringes of Wild Card contention through July in the first season under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, they finished 2019 with their third straight losing season and completed their worst three-year stretch since 1983-85.

The good news for San Francisco is that its farm system is the strongest it has been since 2010, when Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt were on the verge of fueling championships and Zack Wheeler (sent to the Mets in an ill-fated trade for Carlos Beltrán) also was on hand. Since then, the Giants' winning at the big league level covered up the fact that they haven't drafted and developed an All-Star since Joe Panik in 2011 or signed and developed one internationally since Pablo Sandoval in 2003.

They've taken significant steps to remedy those droughts in the last two years. San Francisco landed two potential superstars in 2018, drafting catcher Joey Bart with the No. 2 overall pick and signing Dominican shortstop Marco Luciano for $2.6 million. Both played to rave reviews this season and other players from its 2018 class, such as right-hander Sean Hjelle and outfielder Jairo Pomares, have helped add much-needed depth to the system.

In the 2019 Draft, the Giants managed their bonus pool so well that they grabbed the best college athlete available (outfielder Hunter Bishop) with the 10th overall choice and still had money to pay over-slot bonuses to six of their next 10 selections. They also were active in the summer trade market, and while they declined to deal Bumgarner or Will Smith, they picked up potential keepers in infielder Mauricio Dubon, right-hander Tristan Beck and outfielder Jaylin Davis.

TOP FIVE PROSPECTS

1) Joey Bart, C (No. 19 on Top 100)
2) Heliot Ramos, OF (No. 50)
3) Marco Luciano, SS (No. 61)
4) Hunter Bishop, OF (No. 65)
5) Logan Webb, RHP
Complete Top 30 list ?

HITTING & PITCHING PROSPECTS OF THE YEAR

Marco Luciano, SS (No. 3): His quick-twitch athleticism and huge power potential were evident in his pro debut, as Luciano batted a combined .302/.417/.564, ranked fourth in the Rookie-level Arizona League in homers (10) and OPS (1.054) and finished the summer as the youngest position player in the Class A Short-Season Northwest League (age 17).

Seth Corry, LHP (No. 9): After improving the tempo in his delivery, Corry permitted just nine earned runs in his final 14 starts, winning South Atlantic League pitcher of the year honors and leading the low Class A circuit in ERA (1.76, second in the Minors), strikeouts (172, fourth), strikeouts per nine innings (12.6, fifth), whiff rate (34 percent, fifth) and opponent average (.171, third). More ?

STOCK UP/DOWN

Seth Corry, LHP (No. 9): His mid-90s fastball and curveball are both plus pitches, and he now rates among the game's best lefty pitching prospects.

Jacob Gonzalez, 3B/1B: The 2017 second-rounder spent a second straight season in low Class A and continued to struggle at the plate (.241/.312/.367) and at the hot corner (21 errors in 66 games).

NOTABLE ADDITIONS

Draft: Hunter Bishop, OF, 1st round (No. 4); Logan Wyatt, 1B, 2nd round (No. 14); Grant McCray, OF, 3rd round (No. 24); Tyler Fitzgerald, SS, 4th round (No. 29); Garrett Frechette, 1B, 5th round (No. 30); Dilan Rosario, SS, 6th round; Trevor McDonald, RHP, 11th round (No. 26); Nick Morreale, RHP, 14th round. Complete Draft list ?

International: Aeverson Arteaga, SS; Anthony Rodriguez, SS; Esmerlin Vinicio, LHP.

Trade: Mauricio Dubon, SS/2B (No. 8); Tristan Beck, RHP (No. 18); Jaylin Davis, OF; Joe McCarthy, OF.

Eight prospects acquired since June claimed spots on MLB Pipeline's Giants Top 30, Rosario did as well until he was bumped by the trade for Beck, and Davis will make our next edition after slamming 25 homers with a 1.110 OPS in 68 Triple-A games.

2020 IMPACT PROSPECT

Joey Bart, C (No. 1): Though he missed time when errant pitches broke bones in his left hand in April and his right thumb during the Arizona Fall League, he still reached Double-A and his power and defense look ready for San Francisco.

BEST TOOLS

Hit: Marco Luciano
Power: Marco Luciano
Run: Grant McCray
Field: Joey Bart
Arm: Sandro Fabian
Best athlete: Hunter Bishop

Fastball: Melvin Adon
Curveball: Seth Corry
Slider: Melvin Adon
Changeup: Seth Corry
Control: Kervin Castro

HOW THE TOP 30 WAS BUILT

Draft: 17
International: 9
Trade: 4

The Giants' four best prospects, 12 of their top 14 and 20 on our Top 30 have joined the organization since June 2017.

TOP 30 BY POSITION

C: 3
1B: 2
3B: 1
SS: 4
OF: 9
LHP: 3
RHP: 8

San Francisco is tied with Minnesota and Oakland for the most position players (19) on any of our Top 30 lists.