Willy Adames

Willy Adames's Biography

Willy Rafael Luna Adames, born on September 2, 1995, is a prolific Dominican professional baseball shortstop currently with the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). This biography explores his journey in professional baseball, including his initial years, significant contributions to teams, and growth as a player.

Adames, getting his start in MLB in July 2012, was signed by the Detroit Tigers as an international free agent. Making his professional debut with the Dominican Summer League Tigers in 2013, Adames, in 60 games, hit .245/.419/.370 with a single home run. In 2014, he began the season playing for the West Michigan Whitecaps with a promising start.

In a pivotal three-team trade on July 31, 2014, Adames, Drew Smyly, and Nick Franklin were traded to the Tampa Bay Rays. Following this move, Adames found himself with the Bowling Green Hot Rods, where he finished the season. During this period, Adames played 125 games, maintaining a .271 batting average with eight home runs and 61 RBIs.

Over the following years, Adames climbed higher, playing with the Charlotte Stone Crabs in 2015, recording a .258 batting average with four home runs and 46 RBIs. In 2016, he played for the Montgomery Biscuits, batting .274 with 11 home runs, 57 RBIs, and 31 doubles. During this period, Adames was selected for the World Team in the All-Star Futures Game.

By 2017, Adames made strides in his career with the Durham Bulls, where he made a .277 batting average with 10 home runs and a .776 OPS. He followed this achievement by batting .286 with 4 home runs in the 2018 season. Adames’ impressive performances earned him a ranking as the top prospect in the Tampa Bay Rays farm system in the years 2015, 2016, and 2017, and the second-best prospect in 2018.

In a significant career milestone, Adames was promoted to the Tampa Bay Rays team on May 22, 2018. He hit his first major league home run on his debut day against Chris Sale and was later re-allocated to Durham before being recalled to Tampa in June 2018. Showing promise on the field, he recorded outstanding batting stats, hitting .329 in the final two months of the season.

2019 saw Adames accelerate his career further, becoming the dedicated shortstop after playing 152 games at the position. He hit a walk-off single twice to beat the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox, respectively. In the American League Division Series, he played an impressive game, recording a .385/.500/.983 slash line.

In the 2020 season, despite it being shortened, Adames stood out, contributing significantly to Tampa Bay Rays’ achievement as the first-place winner, with 8 home runs and 23 RBIs.

Adames found himself in new territories in May 2021 when he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. He quickly made his presence felt by winning the NL Player of the Week and helped his team secure the 2021 NL Central Division with a .285 batting average and .885 OPS. His contributions spawned a huge following among Milwaukee Brewers’ fans.

On March 22, 2022, Adames signed a $4.6 million one-season contract with the Brewers. This season was a game-changer for Adames as he set a new Brewers’ shortstop home run record. On January 13, 2023, he accepted a $8.7 million one-year contract with the Brewers, evading salary arbitration.

On September 2, 2024, Adames made history by becoming one of a select few to have hit a home run in five consecutive games, tying the record held by prominent players, including Eddie Miller, Alex Rodriguez, Corey Seager, Trea Turner, and Tyler Fitzgerald.