SAN FRANCISCO – Of all the people that were buoyed by the Giants’ trade for Rafael Devers, Willy Adames might be the happiest of them all.
Adames, a newcomer himself to the Bay, is counting on Devers’ presence in the lineup to change the way opposing pitchers deal with him as he tries to work his way out of what has been to this point a season-long struggle at the plate.
Adames had one of his better nights offensively in San Francisco's 3-2 loss to Cleveland on Tuesday at Oracle Park, reaching base three times against the Guardians for only the seventh time in 73 games this season.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE While not drawing a definitive correlation in connecting his night to Devers’ arrival, Adames is fully aware that the direction of his season can change quickly with the slugger now in the Giants' lineup.
“Maybe not tonight necessarily … but I know in the long run for a fact I’m going to get more pitches to hit because of him,” Adames said.
For the first two months of the 2025 MLB season, Adames wasn’t very comfortable at the plate and was the target of a lot of fan and media criticism after the Giants signed him to the largest contract in franchise history, a very fat seven-year, $182 million deal.
The trade for Devers was meant to inject some lift into San Francisco’s uneven offense with a seriously powerful bat near the top of the lineup. Some have said he’s the best hitter in a Giants uniform since the days of Barry Bonds.
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
Coincidentally, Bonds sat in the front row during Devers' introductory press conference and is expected to work with the new Giant on hitting as the season progresses.
“Another power bat in the lineup,” Giants pitcher Robbie Ray said. “Once we get healthy, get [injured third baseman Matt Chapman] back, we’re going to be that much better."
Devers’ debut for the Orange and Black included two hits and an RBI in five at-bats, and he was met with multiple standing ovations as the game went along.
“Already a fan favorite,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “There’s a lot going on emotionally. We just assume that everything is great, and it’s hard to do what he did today. That’s what impressed me the most, how comfortable he looked in a completely different place.”
Adames, who hit second in the batting order with Devers hitting third, looked pretty comfortable himself.
Although he said he didn’t notice a difference in how Cleveland’s pitchers worked against him, Adames fully embraces and expects things to be different in the coming months -- not just for himself, but the entire Giants team.
“I feel like everything is falling into place at the right time,” Adames said. “Now it’s just continue to embrace that feeling and keep trying to get better. With him behind me, and then when we get Chappy back, it’s going to be good.”