Giants Star Says Teammates Out to ‘Prove People Wrong’ with New Leadership

The San Francisco Giants won 107 games in 2021, won the NL West and made its last playoff appearance. Since then, the franchise has been average.

The proof is in the record. The Giants have had two 81-81 seasons, along with an 80-win season and a 78-win season. These are the doldrums for a franchise that won three World Series in five years from 2010-14. Meanwhile, their arch-rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, have won three World Series titles in six seasons and treat free agency like a shopping spree.

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San Francisco has new leadership, both in the front office and in the dugout. It’s spent on talent in free agency and executed one of the biggest trades in recent memory. One of those new pieces, shortstop Willy Adames, is entering his second season and recently told 97.5 FM The Game in San Francisco.

Willy Adames on the Giants In 2026

San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames throws up the peace sign with his fingers as he walks off the field. — San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames. | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

He’s optimistic. It’s spring training of course. Everyone is. But, the vibes, as he put in during his appearance, are different this year.

“I mean there's a lot of new faces here — new manager, whole new staff and I think we added some pieces that are really fun, too,” he said. “I think the vibes are very different from last year. There’s a lot of energy, there's a lot of personality, a lot of guys that want to have some fun, who want to get better. A lot of guys are working hard to prove people wrong, and a lot of guys want to show up and win some games.”

President of baseball operations Buster Posey isn’t new anymore. He took over in October of 2024 and signing Adames was his first major decision. The second was the trade to acquire Rafael Devers last June, including convincing him to take on a position change to first base that he balked at in Boston. Both bring power to a lineup, and two positions in particular, that needed it.

His biggest decision was hiring Vitello in October. The first-time manager is a first-time pro. The former University of Tennessee head coach has never been in pro baseball. The Giants didn’t announce the full staff officially until late January, but it includes a pair of former managers in Ron Washington as infield coach and Jayce Tingler as bench coach.

As for Adames, he slashed .225/.318/.421 with 30 home runs and 87 RBI in his first season after signing a seven-year deal worth $182 million. He became the first Giants player since Barry Bonds to hit 30 home runs in a full season with the team. Bonds last hit 30 or more home runs in a season in 2004.