Willy Adames had an up-and-down 2025 season in San Francisco, which was his first year with the Giants after an impressive 2024 campaign with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Adames hit .225, which was the second-worst batting average of his career, but he provided solid numbers in other categories with 30 homers, 87 RBI, 94 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases. That said, there’s potential to believe he might be in line for a bounce-back in 2026, as Adames had a .680 OPS during the first half and an .828 OPS after the All-Star break.
Willy Adames 2026 Fantasy Baseball: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Projections
Adames’ biggest calling card is his power, and that has allowed him to launch at least 30 homers in three of his last four full campaigns in the majors. Adames has notched at least 24 homers and 22 doubles in each of his last five seasons in the majors, so his power is no fluke, especially for a middle infielder. Thus, it would be unreasonable to think he’s going to see his power numbers decrease in 2026.
If anything, Adames’ power and run-production numbers could be even better in 2026. With a full year of Rafael Devers in the lineup, and considering the Giants should have a better lineup this season compared to 2025, that should only boost Adames’ chances of reaching the 100-RBI plateau while potentially eclipsing the 100-run mark for the first time.
Adames’ biggest weakness from a fantasy perspective is the fact that he’s not going to be a player who hits for a high average. He hasn’t hit higher than .230 in two of his last three seasons, but applying the same principle that the Giants’ lineup should be better than in 2025, better production should translate to better individual numbers for Adames in 2026.
Any increase would be welcomed, but if Adames finds a way to hover around the .240 or .250 range, that would be a huge boost for his other categories. After all, Adames has posted a walk rate above 10% in each of his last three years, including a career-best 11.7% in 2025, so his on-base percentage is not completely tied to his hitting ability.
As long as Adames continues to be a reliable power threat in the middle of the Giants’ order, he should be a reliable fantasy performer. Fantasy managers will have to live with the subpar average, but he more than makes up for it with strong production in the other four categories. He’s certainly considered a starter in most fantasy formats, as evidenced by his ranking of being a top 15 shortstop with an ADP around the 100-105 range.
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