With the 2020 minor league baseball season in limbo, most major league teams plan to carry most of their top prospects on their 60-man roster for the upcoming season.
The Giants are no different.
Joey Bart, Heliot Ramos, Marco Luciano and Hunter Bishop will be on the Giants' taxi squad, sources confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic this week.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
That development really excites Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow.
"No. 1, they are going to get reps," Krukow said on KNBR's "Murph and Mac" show Friday. "And No. 2, they just may find themselves into the lineup. I mean, if COVID affects a team and guys are out for two weeks of isolation, guess what? There's an opportunity for these young guys."
[GIANTS INSIDER PODCAST: Listen to the latest episode]
Krukow also cited the possibility that high-risk players might not be able to play, or other players might not feel comfortable playing during a pandemic and opt out of the season. That could open the door for someone like Bart to have a chance to make the Giants' active roster.
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
"That's going to happen, that's all going to unfold in the next couple of weeks as we get closer to Opening Day," Krukow said. "And when that happens, that's going to provide some opportunities for younger players."
Yes, the Giants want to get Bart, Ramos, Luciano and Bishop development time. Not including them on the 60-man roster means they would go almost an entire year without working on their skills in an organized setting. But Krukow could see one or more of the Giants' top prospects getting playing time in the big leagues this year.
"I do think these players are not just there to see how everybody puts their [uniform] on," Krukow said. "They are there to get ready to play, should their abilities be required as you go forward.
"I do think COVID is going to have a lot to say about how some of these young players get an opportunity. And some of these guys are going to get an opportunity, and they are never going to go back. They may never play minor league baseball again."
[RELATED: Kapler addresses Bart's status]
Bart and Ramos are on the cusp of being big-league ready. Luciano and Bishop need more time in the minor leagues. But the 2020 MLB season will be unlike anything we've ever seen.
So expect the unexpected ... like the Giants' top prospects making their big league debuts in empty stadiums.