How concerned should the SF Giants be about Willy Adames' defense at shortstop?

Willy Adames has graded out as the worst defender in baseball this season. How concerned should the SF Giants be about the veteran infielder?

We posed this question more than once early in the 2025 season, and Adames rebounded nicely. Overall, he put up 5 Outs Above Average (OAA) and 4 Fielding Run Value (FRV). These are solid marks at a premium position.

The 30-year-old infielder is in just the second year of his seven-year, $182 million pact. The Giants knew that a move to second base would likely be in the cards. He will be in his age-35 season by the end of his deal, and there are not many everyday shortstops at that age.

They do not know exactly when that move will be. It could happen sooner rather than later if Adames' defense does not recover.

What if the slow start is not just a slow start for SF Giants infielder Willy Adames?

It is not just that Adames has been a poor defender in 2026. He made an error in Saturday's 6-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs, giving him a league-leading 12 errors. Only Zach Neto of the Los Angeles Angels has more errors with 13.

Errors are not a great indicator of defensive prowess. For example, Nick Castellanos did not make an error for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, but graded out as one of the worst outfielders in baseball. It is tough to make an error on a play with limited range.

Adames has tallied -12 OAA and -10 FRV, both of which are the worst in baseball. Regardless of the defensive metric you use, he has been a below-average defender. It is not just struggling on defense, but doing so at a premium position. Teams can overlook and get by with rough defense at a few positions, but shortstop is not one of them.

There is still plenty of time to turn it around. Through the first month of last season, Adames put up -6 OAA, which highlights that defensive metrics can be misleading in small samples. He rebounded after that to put up a solid defensive season.

That rebound has not happened yet for Adames in 2026. He has put up -4 OAA in April, -6 OAA in May, and -2 OAA in June. He is a slow starter at the plate, and that could extend to the field as well. However, there is often a concern with slow starts that it may not just be a slow start anymore, but a regression trend. The Giants hope that the 30-year-old infielder can rebound because it would broach the conversation of a position change sooner than they would like.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow