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Giants Star Recently Requested One Interesting Change From Manager Bob Melvin

Originally posted on San Francisco Giants on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The San Francisco Giants 2025 season has quickly spiraled out of control the last few weeks, going from one of the more pleasant surprises in the league to being on the outside looking in of the playoff picture in the National League.

Things really hit rock bottom with their recent performance at Oracle Park, their home field. The Giants recently endured a seven-game losing streak there, which was snapped on Sunday in the series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays. Prior to that win, the team had lost 15 out of 16 games at home, making some brutal franchise history in the process.

Manager Bob Melvin has been left searching for answers but unable to find anything productive. The team has suffered some more major losses with Jerar Encarnacion and Matt Chapman heading to the injured list. Despite the outlook being so bleak, players on the team are still searching for ways to help the team win.

One of the players who has taken it upon themselves to try and spark the team is shortstop Willy Adames. He hasn’t lived up to expectations yet after signing a massive seven-year, $182 million deal with the club in free agency, leaving the Milwaukee Brewers. July he looked to be turning a corner, but he has struggled as much as any of his teammates in August.

With a .123/.197/.262 slash line thus far this month, he was seeking ways to help generate runs more consistently for the Giants. So, he decided to ask Melvin if a change could be made for him offensively. According to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic (subscription required), Adames requested “a standing green light to run.” It was something the manager was all for.

Willy Adames Wants To Be Aggressive on Basepaths

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“Yeah. I’m all for it. I want him to be aggressive, and I want him to have the green light,” Melvin said about the meeting that was had a little over a week ago, as shared by Baggarly.

Last year with the Brewers, Adames was much more aggressive on the basepaths, stealing a career-high 21 bags. It looked to certainly be an outlier because he doesn’t have double-digit steals any other season in his career. However, it is something he will be looking to do more down the stretch.

Adames has certainly made the most of his newfound base running freedom. To help snap the team’s losing streak on Sunday, he played a key role with an aggressive move on the bases. He was on first base when Dominic Smith hit a single with the bases loaded.

What ensued was something that hasn’t been done by San Francisco since Sept. 8, 1988. Smith hit a three-run single, the first Giants player to accomplish the feat since Kirt Manwaring did it that day. The rare feat was only made possible because Adames was able to capitalize off a lollipop relay throw, taking full advantage of his standing green light.

“Sometimes a play like that can mean more than a homer,” Adames said. “It’s going to get the team fired up. It’s, ‘Oh my God, I want to do that next time.’ It’s setting up an example for the younger guys. Just go for it. Even if you get thrown out, at least you’re playing aggressive, you’re not being lazy or trying to play it safe. That’s the right way to play and it’s how teams win. In October, if you don’t know how to run the bases, you won’t win.”

Preparing to face his old team for the first time since signing with San Francisco, Adames has taken notice of what the Brewers are doing to find success. They are aggressive on the basepaths, creating runs to make up for what their lineup may be lacking elsewhere. The results are paying off and the star shortstop fully believes that if the Giants want to reach that level, improving as base runners is imperative.