Giants Star Showing Some Signs of Turning Things Around, but Still Has Concerns

The San Francisco Giants had high expectations for star shortstop Willy Adames after they signed him in free agency this past winter.

He agreed to a seven-year, $182 million deal with the Giants, which is the largest contract in franchise history.

Thus far, he has not come close to living up to expectations as one of the more disappointing offseason additions in the MLB.

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Through 75 games and 324 plate appearances, he has produced an underwhelming .206/.294/.338 slash line with an OPS+ of 83. Should he not improve that OPS+, it will be by far the lowest of his career; his previous low was 94 in 2023.

It is a disappointing development after Adames put together a career year in 2024, launching 32 home runs with 33 doubles and 112 RBI, cementing his status as one of the most productive offensive shortstops in the league.

A lot of his metrics have plummeted, which is certainly cause for concern. He has shown incremental improvements in some areas, but there are other numbers that hint a true breakout may not be on the horizon.

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“Recently, Adames has performed a little better, and that coincides with his rolling swing speed finally poking about the 75th percentile for the first time this season. But it’s a long swing, and if you judge him instead by swing acceleration (which considers contact point), he just nudged above the 10th percentile,” wrote Eno Sarris of The Athletic (subscription required).

Thus far this season, Adames has hit only eight home runs and 11 doubles. His 2.5% home run rate would be the lowest in a single season of his career as well. He has been above the league average every year since his rookie campaign.

The drop in swing speed is certainly concerning in the first year of a seven-year deal. But, hopefully the addition of Rafael Devers to the lineup can help get Adames on track, taking some pressure off of him.

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While his struggles at the plate are certainly far from ideal, one major positive has been his turnaround defensively.

After a brutal start to the season, Adames is now making a positive impact with his glove, recording a +1 Fielding Run Value, which is in the 61st percentile. His Outs Above Average of +1 is in the 68th percentile.

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