Giants manager Bob Melvin shares his plans for Willy Adames’ batting position in the upcoming season, aiming for a strong lineup.
San Francisco: So, the Giants have a new shortstop, Willy Adames, and he’s got some exciting plans for his spot in the lineup. You know how it goes when a player joins a new team; they usually have to check in about their jersey number. But for Adames, that was a no-brainer. He’s from the Dominican Republic, so he knew right away that No. 27 was off-limits. That number is retired for the legendary Juan Marichal.
Instead, Adames is going with No. 2, which is pretty cool since it’s his favorite number. He was born on September 2, and Derek Jeter was his idol growing up. Now, about where he’ll hit in the lineup—manager Bob Melvin is thinking of putting him in the second spot. That could be a great fit, especially with Jung Hoo Lee and LaMonte Wade Jr. in the mix.
Melvin mentioned on the “Giants Talk” podcast that Wade has the skills to lead off, while Lee might be better suited for the third spot. It sounds like he’s got a solid plan to mix things up a bit. With players like Heliot Ramos and Matt Chapman also in the lineup, it’s shaping up to be pretty deep.
Last season, Adames mostly hit cleanup for the Brewers, but Melvin sees him as a strong No. 2 hitter. Wade had a solid on-base percentage, and Lee was experimenting with different spots before he got hurt. If they can get those three at the top, it could really help the younger guys lower in the order.
As for the bottom of the lineup, it might include Patrick Bailey, Tyler Fitzgerald, and Mike Yastrzemski. They all had their moments last season, but the Giants are still looking to add more depth. They’re not planning on signing a full-time designated hitter, which makes sense since Melvin prefers to rotate those at-bats among his regulars.
While they might not have the star power of some other teams, Melvin is optimistic about their lineup’s potential. Six of his eight projected starters were above league average last season, which is promising. He believes that having younger players in less pressure-filled spots could really help them shine.
So, it looks like the Giants are gearing up for an exciting season ahead!