During the offseason, the San Francisco Giants appeared fully committed to contending immediately. They were linked to numerous free agents, but their marquee acquisition was shortstop. He arrived with lofty expectations, but so far, he hasn’t delivered.
To be blunt, He has been awful this season.
He’s currently hitting .230 with a .314 on-base percentage and a .358 slugging percentage, contributing a total WAR of 0.0. He’s managed only four home runs and has been unsuccessful in two of his four stolen base attempts.
Defensively, things haven’t been much better—Baseball Savant rates him at -4 in fielding run value and -5 in outs above average, both alarmingly poor.
The silver lining? He’s shown signs of improvement recently. If he can build on that momentum, the Giants have a real shot at becoming a dominant force.
When Willy Adames turns it around, the Giants will dominate
Despite getting the least from Willy Adames so far, the Giants have still managed an impressive 24-14 record, tied with the Padres for second in the NL West and just one game behind the powerhouse Dodgers.
But what happens if Adames heats up?
It seems inevitable he’ll start producing closer to his career norms — more like an .800 OPS than the sub-.650 mark he’s posted. He’s logged the most at-bats on the team while contributing the least, so any improvement will have a significant impact. If he returns to being a 4-5 WAR player, San Francisco’s outlook could dramatically improve.
Defensively, Adames was slightly above average last season by FRV and OAA metrics. A return to that level would further boost the Giants’ chances.
With a .321/.406/.607 slash line in 28 at-bats this month, signs point to him turning things around. And if the Giants hope to overtake the Dodgers, they’ll need Adames at his best — a scenario that may be taking shape already.
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