CHICAGO — Power has been the name of the game for Giants shortstop Willy Adames since he debuted in MLB in 2018. And it’s a big reason he was so coveted prior to signing a seven-year, $182 million deal with San Francisco this past winter.
It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that the biggest challenge for Adames in his new home in San Francisco has been how to manage hitting at Oracle Park, which has historically suppressed power, especially for right-handed hitters. Since 2000, Oracle has seen the fewest home runs of any ballpark in Major League Baseball.
Advertisement
Indeed, the Giants’ new shortstop has had a slow start to the season. That’s not unusual, as Adames is historically a slow starter, with his lowest career OPS by month coming in March/April. Entering play Wednesday, he’s slashing .222/.305/.347 through 37 games, with six doubles, four home runs and 19 RBI. And while it took a little time, Adames hit his first two homers at Oracle Park on Sunday, something both he and the Giants had been waiting for.
Now that he’s had a little more than a month to get acclimated to his new home, the Giants’ shortstop, who spent the first seven seasons of his MLB career with Tampa Bay and Milwaukee, is adjusting to his new reality.
“It’s a little colder,” Adames said with a smile. “For me, I’m getting used to playing outside every day. You know, I’ve been indoors my whole career. So now, it’s like every day outside in a bigger park. …
Advertisement
“It’s been a little harder than expected, but that’s how it is. It’ll be better in the summertime.”
Over the past seven seasons, few shortstops have hit with power to match Adames’. Only Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (195) has hit more home runs than Adames’ 154 since the start of 2018.
And the reality is that the Giants have needed power in their lineup for quite some time, especially from the right side of the plate. Over the past two decades, San Francisco’ offense has been sorely lacking in the power department. It’s difficult to believe, but no Giants hitter has hit 30 home runs in a season since Barry Bonds last did so back in 2004. And no Giants right-handed hitter has hit 30 home runs in a season since Jeff Kent accomplished the feat with 37 long balls in 2002.
When Adames signed with the team in December, the hope was that he could be the right-handed slugger to end the drought. But with just four home runs through the team’s first 37 games, a 30-homer season from Adames is looking like a long shot.
Advertisement
“It’s tough, because it feels like you did everything great, everything perfect, and then you still have no positive results,” Adames said of hitting in San Francisco. “Sometimes, it puts a little pressure on, like, ‘Man, what do I have to do?’”
If there’s anyone who knows what it’s like to go from a hitter-friendly ballpark to cavernous Oracle Park, it’s Giants hitting coach Pat Burrell. Burrell, who hit 292 homers in his 12-year MLB career with the Phillies, Rays and Giants, played his final two seasons in San Francisco and knows firsthand the adjustments that any hitter moving to Oracle has to make.
Advertisement
“Coming here, it’s a whole different ballpark,” Burrell told Yahoo Sports. “[Adames has] definitely hit quite a few balls here in San Francisco that I think probably would have been out of the ballpark in Milwaukee. But those are the adjustments you make when you change teams.
“We don’t want to come here and change who people are. That’s not what we’re here to do. But you know, in reality, it’s not a home run hitter’s ballpark. So what we’re trying to do as a team is hit more line drives. Willy has really come into his own, and I think as it warms up, temperature-wise, I really think he’ll continue to keep getting hot.”
Adames has a challenge ahead of him, and he knows it. But after learning how the ballpark plays over the past month, he has started to get a feel for his new home, with the hope that things will ultimately go his way.
The metrics back up that optimism. While his slugging percentage so far is just .347, Adames’ expected slugging percentage (xSLG) of .420 shows that his approach and quality of contact have been there, even if the early-season results haven’t followed. Also, Adames’ 88.8 mph exit velocity is almost identical to his career average, which should give him and the Giants confidence that he’s headed in the right direction. There’s reason to believe that with warmer weather will come more home runs off his bat.
Advertisement
“You just gotta be comfortable and be like, ‘I did my job. I hit it hard. It just didn’t go my way,’” Adames said. “I feel like, after the first three or four weeks for me, it was like, ‘OK, forget about the results. Just continue to hit the ball hard, and they’re going to start dropping, and just maintain that confidence.’
“I’m going to keep continuing to hit the ball, and whenever they drop, they drop.”
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Xabi Alonso to leave Bayer Leverkusen: Real Madrid likely next for Spanish manager, per multiple reports
Getty Images Spanish manager Xabi Alonso has announced he will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the 2024-25 season. This preceeds the manager joining Real Madrid according to multiple reports. Alonso, who coached the German side over the last three years since he joined in October 2022, won the 2023-24 Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen, the first one in the club's history. He's now expected to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, with the Italian manager reportedly leaving the Spanish giants before the summer to join Brazil as the new head coach of the national team. While Real Madrid are yet to make an announcement on the future of their managerial role, Xabi Alonso has announced his future during the pre-match press conference ahead of the Borussia Dortmund match, the last one of the season that will take place at […]
NHL Playoffs 2025: Stanley Cup schedule, bracket, scores, as Capitals, Oilers earn victories
CBS Sports The second round of the 2025 NHL playoffs rolled along on Thursday night with a pair of Game 2s. In the first, the Washington Capitals notched a 3-1 win to even their series with the Carolina Hurricanes, and then the Edmonton Oilers won an overtime thriller in Vegas.After getting dominated in the territorial battle in Game 1, the Capitals flipped the script and took the fight to the Hurricanes for much of Game 2. As one might expect, Tom Wilson was right in the middle of everything. He brought his signature physicality, but Wilson also recorded an assist on the game-winning goal and sealed the win with an empty-net tally.Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson was also terrific with 27 saves on 28 shots against. He didn't face too many tough tests, but he always answered the bell when he […]
Felipe Melo indica time que provoca falsa esperança no Brasil
Felipe Melo em registro durante o programa "Seleção Sportv" (Reprodução - YouTube) Felipe Melo foi contundente ao questionar o desempenho do Atlético-MG, ao repercutir na noite desta quinta-feira (08), o revés da equipe frente ao modesto Deportes Iquique, pela Copa Sul-Americana, fora de casa. Na avaliação dele, o time de Cuca mais uma vez ficou devendo rendimento incisivo, dada a qualidade que ostenta em seu plantel, e tem provocado um efeito de ‘falsa esperança’ nesta primeira metade da temporada. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE “Quanto ao Galão, esperava mais. Eu sempre acho que o próximo jogo vai ser melhor, porque o time do Atlético-MG é muito bom, o treinador é muito bom, acho sempre que vai dar match“, opinou Felipe Melo. “Galo deu mole. Os times brasileiros, não todos, mas esperava mais da maioria, até agora. Ainda tem tempo para quem briga para […]
Schick s Kovářem budou mít nového trenéra. Alonso po sezoně opustí Leverkusen
Online magazín deníku Právo & Seznam.czCopyright © 1996–2025, Seznam.cz, a.s., Borgis, a.s., ČTK, DPA, Reuters, fotobanka Profimedia.Publikování nebo další šíření obsahu serveru Sport.cz je bez písemného souhlasu společnosti Borgis, a.s. zakázáno. RSS kanály serveru Sport.cz jsou určeny pouze pro osobní užití. Jakékoli kopírování, šíření nebo využívání obsahu RSS kanálů serveru Sport.cz bez předchozího písemného souhlasu společnosti Borgis a.s. není dovoleno. Dodavatelem obsahu serveru Sport.cz a osobou vykonávající redakční odpovědnost je společnost BORGIS a.s. Šiřitelem reklamy na serveru Sport.cz je společnost Seznam.cz, a.s., IČO 26168685.
NHL Playoffs 2025: Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel headline 3 Stars of the Night after OT thriller
Getty Images The 2025 NHL playoffs just keep delivering every night. On Thursday, several key players turned in clutch performances with Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel leading the way.With the Washington Capitals facing the possibility of a 2-0 series deficit going to Carolina, Tom Wilson elevated his game and helped the Caps even the series. Not only was Wilson terrorizing the Hurricanes with his physicality, but he showed some finesse on John Carlson's game-winning goal. NHL Playoffs 2025: Stanley Cup schedule, bracket, scores, as Capitals, Oilers earn victories Austin Nivison In the late game, Jack Eichel seemed to have the puck on his stick at all times. The Golden Knights' star was seeing the ice extremely well, assisting on each of his team's first three goals. On two of power play goals, Eichel read and manipulated the Oilers' penalty kill […]
Mohamed Salah e Alessia Russo são eleitos jogador e jogadora da temporada no futebol inglês
Salah, que já coroado nas temporadas 2017/18 e 2021/22, iguala o recorde de Thierry Henry, três vezes escolhido Jogador do Ano em Inglaterra, quando atuava no Arsenal. Com 28 gols e 18 assistências na Premier League nesta temporada, o atacante foi um dos principais nomes do 20º título do Liverpool. O egípcio teve quase 90% dos votos, superando o seu companheiro Virgil van Dijk, o atacante Alexander Isak, do Newcastel, e o meia Declan Rice, do Arsenal. Aos 32 anos, Salah pôs fim às especulações sobre o seu futuro ao assinar um novo vínculo de dois anos, que o liga ao Liverpool até 2027.
Related
Xabi Alonso to leave Bayer Leverkusen: Real Madrid likely next for Spanish manager, per multiple reports
Getty Images Spanish manager Xabi Alonso has announced he will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the 2024-25 season. This preceeds the manager joining Real Madrid according to multiple reports. Alonso, who coached the German side over the last three years since he joined in October 2022, won the 2023-24 Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen, the first one in the club's history. He's now expected to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, with the Italian manager reportedly leaving the Spanish giants before the summer to join Brazil as the new head coach of the national team. While Real Madrid are yet to make an announcement on the future of their managerial role, Xabi Alonso has announced his future during the pre-match press conference ahead of the Borussia Dortmund match, the last one of the season that will take place at […]
NHL Playoffs 2025: Stanley Cup schedule, bracket, scores, as Capitals, Oilers earn victories
CBS Sports The second round of the 2025 NHL playoffs rolled along on Thursday night with a pair of Game 2s. In the first, the Washington Capitals notched a 3-1 win to even their series with the Carolina Hurricanes, and then the Edmonton Oilers won an overtime thriller in Vegas.After getting dominated in the territorial battle in Game 1, the Capitals flipped the script and took the fight to the Hurricanes for much of Game 2. As one might expect, Tom Wilson was right in the middle of everything. He brought his signature physicality, but Wilson also recorded an assist on the game-winning goal and sealed the win with an empty-net tally.Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson was also terrific with 27 saves on 28 shots against. He didn't face too many tough tests, but he always answered the bell when he […]
Felipe Melo indica time que provoca falsa esperança no Brasil
Felipe Melo em registro durante o programa "Seleção Sportv" (Reprodução - YouTube) Felipe Melo foi contundente ao questionar o desempenho do Atlético-MG, ao repercutir na noite desta quinta-feira (08), o revés da equipe frente ao modesto Deportes Iquique, pela Copa Sul-Americana, fora de casa. Na avaliação dele, o time de Cuca mais uma vez ficou devendo rendimento incisivo, dada a qualidade que ostenta em seu plantel, e tem provocado um efeito de ‘falsa esperança’ nesta primeira metade da temporada. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE “Quanto ao Galão, esperava mais. Eu sempre acho que o próximo jogo vai ser melhor, porque o time do Atlético-MG é muito bom, o treinador é muito bom, acho sempre que vai dar match“, opinou Felipe Melo. “Galo deu mole. Os times brasileiros, não todos, mas esperava mais da maioria, até agora. Ainda tem tempo para quem briga para […]
Schick s Kovářem budou mít nového trenéra. Alonso po sezoně opustí Leverkusen
Online magazín deníku Právo & Seznam.czCopyright © 1996–2025, Seznam.cz, a.s., Borgis, a.s., ČTK, DPA, Reuters, fotobanka Profimedia.Publikování nebo další šíření obsahu serveru Sport.cz je bez písemného souhlasu společnosti Borgis, a.s. zakázáno. RSS kanály serveru Sport.cz jsou určeny pouze pro osobní užití. Jakékoli kopírování, šíření nebo využívání obsahu RSS kanálů serveru Sport.cz bez předchozího písemného souhlasu společnosti Borgis a.s. není dovoleno. Dodavatelem obsahu serveru Sport.cz a osobou vykonávající redakční odpovědnost je společnost BORGIS a.s. Šiřitelem reklamy na serveru Sport.cz je společnost Seznam.cz, a.s., IČO 26168685.
NHL Playoffs 2025: Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel headline 3 Stars of the Night after OT thriller
Getty Images The 2025 NHL playoffs just keep delivering every night. On Thursday, several key players turned in clutch performances with Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel leading the way.With the Washington Capitals facing the possibility of a 2-0 series deficit going to Carolina, Tom Wilson elevated his game and helped the Caps even the series. Not only was Wilson terrorizing the Hurricanes with his physicality, but he showed some finesse on John Carlson's game-winning goal. NHL Playoffs 2025: Stanley Cup schedule, bracket, scores, as Capitals, Oilers earn victories Austin Nivison In the late game, Jack Eichel seemed to have the puck on his stick at all times. The Golden Knights' star was seeing the ice extremely well, assisting on each of his team's first three goals. On two of power play goals, Eichel read and manipulated the Oilers' penalty kill […]
Mohamed Salah e Alessia Russo são eleitos jogador e jogadora da temporada no futebol inglês
Salah, que já coroado nas temporadas 2017/18 e 2021/22, iguala o recorde de Thierry Henry, três vezes escolhido Jogador do Ano em Inglaterra, quando atuava no Arsenal. Com 28 gols e 18 assistências na Premier League nesta temporada, o atacante foi um dos principais nomes do 20º título do Liverpool. O egípcio teve quase 90% dos votos, superando o seu companheiro Virgil van Dijk, o atacante Alexander Isak, do Newcastel, e o meia Declan Rice, do Arsenal. Aos 32 anos, Salah pôs fim às especulações sobre o seu futuro ao assinar um novo vínculo de dois anos, que o liga ao Liverpool até 2027.
Be the first to leave a comment