SF Giants’ Willy Adames’ latest error encapsulates defensive struggles

SAN FRANCISCO — Casey Schmitt can be excused for failing to catch Ketel Marte’s fifth-inning fly ball during the Giants’  6-2 loss Monday.

Schmitt has only played 43 professional innings in left field, all of them coming in the last week-and-a-half. He hadn’t played the position since high school, but when Heliot Ramos hit the injured list, Schmitt picked up an outfielder’s glove to keep his bat in the lineup.

The fly ball he failed to catch would’ve been a difficult play for any left fielder, an awkward in-between ball that required him to either go all out or peel back early. Instead, the ball bounced in front of him, then rolled right past him. It’s a tough play to practice, and experience is the best teacher.

Unlike Schmitt, Willy Adames, a full-time shortstop, cannot be afforded the same grace.

With none on and none out in the top of the fifth, the Diamondbacks’ Tommy Troy hit a routine grounder toward Adames’ direction. Adames kneeled down to field the ball, his knee not quite touching the ground, then rose and fired. First baseman Rafael Devers leaped, but the ball sailed into the first-base dugout.

Even the six-foot-seven Bryce Eldridge would’ve had a hard time making contact with the ball, let alone catching it.

The error was Adames’ ninth of the season, the most of any defender in the majors, and it set the table for the Diamondbacks to score three runs in the fifth. Combine the errors with Adames’ -7 outs above average (a range-based stat) and the cold reality is that Adames has graded out as one of the worst defenders in the majors.

And while he stuck around and held himself accountable following his baserunning mistake earlier this month against the Dodgers, Adames left before speaking with reporters Monday following an error that shifted the tone of the afternoon.

“He’s made more than his fair share of SportsCenter plays, and for the most part, has been really good on the average play,” Giants manager Tony Vitello said. “I don’t really know how to describe that one other than a one-hopper, I believe, and probably getting down to a knee is maybe what kind of hurt having his feet. When you’re getting the ball hit to you more than anyone else on the field, it means there’s more chances to make a mistake.

“All I know is when he’s locked in, he’s pretty dang good out there. I don’t know why he wouldn’t be locked in right there. He was upset as anybody after the game and into it before the game. I don’t know how you pull a real answer out of that, but it’s our guy. I’m glad he’s our guy, and overall, he’s been very good for us. … We all want defense to be as consistent as possible, but stuff will pop up.”

Adames went through his share of defensive struggles early last season as well but ultimately ended the year as a net-positive defender.

Following a two-error night against the Chicago Cubs on May 5, 2025, Adames was worth -5 outs above average. Despite last year’s poor start, Adames ended up finishing the season worth +5 outs above average, which ranked in the 89th percentile.

What’s been most odd about Adames’ subpar defense through 53 games this season have been the types of plays he’s not routinely making.

Adames has always struggled on plays where he has to move laterally toward first base (-33 career outs above average), so it’s not surprising that he’s been worth -4 outs above average on these types of plays this season. What is surprising, however, is how he’s rated on plays where he has to move in.