SAN FRANCISCO — Willy Adames was all smiles catching up with old teammates before the Giants hosted his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers, on Monday.
It was the same joyous demeanor the shortstop has displayed so far with his new club, even if he hasn’t played up to the seven-year, $182 million contract he signed with San Francisco. The Giants have started hot but mostly done so in spite of their new franchise shortstop.
“Performing is not going to change the way I play the game,” Adames said from his locker in the Giants’ home clubhouse. “It’s a long season and there’s going to be dark moments as well as amazing moments. That’s why I don’t change. I can’t change the vibe, change the energy for the boys because I’m not doing great. Some of the guys are killing it. I’ve got to support them. And I’ve got to support the guys that aren’t doing great, like me.”
Adames spent the past four seasons in Milwaukee, receiving MVP votes twice and leading the Brewers to three postseason appearances, but hasn’t lived up to that play through 22 games with the Giants. He entered the series batting .202 with a .554 OPS, five extra-base hits, nine walks and 26 strikeouts in 99 trips to the plate.
Over his eight-year career, Adames owns a .766 OPS — more than 200 points higher than his mark so far in San Francisco.
“Look, he’s swinging the bat as good as he has right now. Got off to a little bit a slow start, but we have several guys who have,” manager Bob Melvin said. “I think you can put a little pressure on yourself from time to time when you come to a new place and you don’t get off to a good start. But I think the at-bats are getting better.”
Adames’ beloved status in the Brewers’ clubhouse was evident by the number of men in navy-and-gold garb coming up to him behind the batting cage before Monday’s game. That was part of the appeal to Buster Posey, and Adames’ leadership has managed to shine through even while he searches for his swing.
“The enthusiasm with how he plays I think rubs off on everybody. Just an extremely likeable guy,” Melvin said, calling him “a key figure in our clubhouse — and we feel like we have a very close clubhouse.”
The Brewers moved on with Joey Ortiz, the infielder they acquired from Baltimore for Corbin Burnes, and started the season 12-10 — only two games off the Giants’ pace. Adames said he was “expecting at least a call” but didn’t hear from the Brewers before before agreeing to his deal with the Giants in early December.
It’s the second time Adames has had to make a first impression on a new team, but he refuted the notion that he was feeling any additional pressure. He won fans over quickly in Milwaukee, going on to post 3.6 bWAR and a career-best .886 OPS over 99 games after being traded by the Rays in May 2021.
Adames was batting .197 at the time of the trade, which he said is typical and explains his slow start with the Giants. Over the course of his career, Adames has consistently posted his worst numbers in March and April and had his most success after the All-Star break.
“When I click, I just click and it doesn’t go away,” he said. “It’s just how it is, unfortunately, for me. It takes time for me to get going. … As long as we continue to win games, I really don’t care about myself. Obviously I want to do great, but I’m going to continue to contribute in different ways until my bat comes alive.”
Adames laced an RBI single into right field in Saturday’s win over the Angels and drove in two more runs Sunday with a pair of line drives. It was the first time this season Adames had put together at-bats that produced runs in back-to-back games, raising his average over .200 with his second knock.
If he found his stroke, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
While Adames said it was “different” and “a little weird” facing his former teammates for the first time when it counts — “now, it’s like, real stuff,” as opposed to their meetings in spring training — the matchup he was most looking forward to is set for Friday.
The Brewers’ scheduled starter that night is Freddy Peralta, a teammate and close friend of Adames for his entire tenure in Milwaukee.
“We’ve talked about it since I’ve signed here,” Adames smiled. “We know it’s going to be fun. We’re going to battle. Whatever happens, we know we’re going to talk crap to each other after the game.”
Notable
— IF Casey Schmitt (oblique), who was placed on the 10-day IL before Sunday’s game, is looking at a lengthy absence. An MRI revealed a Grade 2 strain in his left oblique, and Melvin suggested he would miss “probably about a month.” When the Giants called up IF David Villar to take his spot on the roster, it was the first transaction the Giants had made all season.
