San Francisco Giants Manager Has Idea Where Willy Adames Will Fit in Lineup

If manager Bob Melvin has his way, the San Francisco Giants might be shaking up their lineup pretty heavily in 2025.

Dec 9, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin speaks with the media at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants had the same general look in the lineup last season, but it appears there might be a big shakeup heading into 2025.

On the latest episode of "Giants Talk," Bob Melvin shared his thoughts on how the lineup could look and change due to the acquisition of Willy Adames this winter.

Adames was mainly the cleanup hitter, with 103 games of the 161 he played being slotted in the four spot in the lineup. Adames could be seen as a typical cleanup hitter, hitting over 30 home runs and driving in over 100, but Melvin has something else in mind for the shortstop.

The second year manager will likely be writing Adames' name in the second spot in the lineup, giving them flexibility around him. Adames hit second three times in 2024, going 1-for-11 in those at-bats. There is nothing to take away from that really, but it gives the idea that this will be a big change for the power hitter.

With Adames hitting second, Melvin can move around other pieces in the lineup, including the one and three spot, which he talked a lot about.

"(Lee is) used to hitting third (and) LaMonte Wade has all the characteristics of leading off as far as on-base percentage ... and Jung Hoo might end up more in the middle of the lineup, maybe in the third spot," said the three time Manager of the Year said.

In 2024, Jung Hoo Lee mainly hit leadoff until his injury, then it was taken over by Jorge Soler and LaMonte Wade Jr. throughout the season. When San Francisco signed Lee, it looked as if he would just be penciled in as the leadoff hitter everyday. That was mostly the case, but he did get some action at the third spot before hitting the IL.

Wade might be the best option to hit leadoff as well, as he has had a .370 on-base percentage or better each of the last two years.

Melvin believes that the Giants lineup is deeper than it was last year, which allows for the youonger players to grow and have better at-bats.

"It looks to be a much deeper lineup and I think with some of the younger guys, whether it's Ramos or Patrick Bailey -- at times he had to hit third or fourth for us last year, too -- being able to put them in spots where it lengthens the lineup and maybe takes a little pressure off some young guys, it's probably not a bad thing," Melvin explained.

There is a lot of excitement around the new look Giants, and the lineup will be a big part of that. Now, the younger players can hit lower in the lineup and they can develop their bats even more while still contributing and being in a better spot.