The Milwaukee Brewers welcomed back a franchise favorite on Friday. Will Adames spent three and a half seasons with the Brewers, quickly becoming beloved by the fanbase. When he signed with the San Francisco Giants during the offseason, Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy lost a key piece. In a poetic moment, Adames took Jose Quintana deep to kick the game off.
Adames became a household name as a Brewer, climbing the ranks at his position quickly. Unfortunately, Milwaukee's front office didn't believe he was worth the price of keeping last winter. Despite his exit to another National League contender, Adames received a standing ovation from fans as he stepped in for his first at-bat against Quintana.
A standing O for Willy in his first game back in MKE 🥹 pic.twitter.com/XEmDDVj2fD
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) August 23, 2025
Adames appreciated the love he got from the crowd before the game, but he showed no mercy. Quintana left a fastball down the middle and the Giants shortstop crushed it 419 feet to left field. Ironically, the crowd's reaction was a mix of cheers and groans as he rounded the bases.
Willy Adames returns to Milwaukee, gets a pre-game welcome and a standing ovation as he comes to the plate
Then he immediately homers 🥹 pic.twitter.com/GuG5wrqNKr
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) August 23, 2025
Adames wasn't with the Brewers for very long, but he made a big impact on the team. He, Murphy, and Christian Yelich served as the veteran presences that helped a young roster make it to the postseason last year. Now, Milwaukee is one of the league's best teams and has shown no signs of slowing down. Brewers fans made sure to let Adames know how much he meant to them.
The shortstop and his former home shared a nice moment before Friday's game. Despite the emotional return, the series between them is an important one. San Francisco is at risk of falling out of the NL Wild Card race, while the Brewers are trying to run away with the NL Central. Winning the weekend series would be a step in the right direction for both teams.
Despite the competitive atmosphere, Milwaukee showed Adames that he still has fans in Brewers' colors. He gave them one more highlight, even if it was taking Quintana deep in front of his home crowd.
