The 2024 season was another disappointing one for the San Francisco Giants as they failed to make the postseason for the third consecutive year and seventh time out of the last eight campaigns.

A wide gap currently exists between them and their National League West rivals, the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

Looking to close that gap, new president of baseball operations Buster Posey was aggressive in free agency, signing shortstop Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182 million deal.

He provides the team with some much-needed offensive production to the middle of their lineup. Among the best offensive players at his position in the league, his addition was a major first transaction for the three-time World Series winner looking to get the franchise back to the level of prominence they experienced when he was the starting catcher.

With Adames now entrenched at shortstop, it means the Giants can slide Tyler Fitzgerald over to second base full-time.

Not someone who was considered to be in the mix for playing time during Spring Training, the versatile infielder earned his way into the lineup with his production and never stopped hitting.

His rookie campaign came out of nowhere and he was excellent, slashing .280/.334/.497 as one of the team’s most consistent hitters. An extra-base machine, he slugged 15 home runs with 19 doubles and two triples in 341 plate appearances to go along with 17 stolen bases.

Second base is where he should spend most of his time in 2025, but he has the capability of filling in other places around the diamond, giving manager Bob Melvin some flexibility when it comes to making lineup decisions.

As a rookie, Fitzgerald logged innings at center field, left field, second base and first base in addition to playing primarily shortstop. He was even on the mound for three innings.

That level of production was good enough for him to be recognized by MLB and MLB Network as one of the best rookies in 2024. He cracked their list of the top newcomers, landing at No. 25.

It was a spot that he earned with his unexpected production, which San Francisco is hoping he will carry over into 2025.

Now a key part of the team’s plans moving forward, Fitzgerald will be counted on as an everyday player. He looked capable of being an above-average performer with the glove at second base, which will make him even more valuable if he can keep up the torrid pace he had at the plate.

With Matt Chapman at third base, Adames at shortstop and Fitzgerald at second, the Giants are set for years to come in the infield. All they are awaiting now is first baseman Bryce Eldridge, who could easily be on the top rookies list in Fitzgerald’s place at this point next year.

The 49ers officially will select No. 11 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, a good omen given the history of blue-chip difference makers who historically have been taken at that spot.

San Francisco already has struck gold at No. 11, drafting Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis with that selection in 2007.

The 49ers also landed a key contributor from the No. 11 spot in the 2011 draft, selecting offensive lineman Anthony Davis. The Rutgers product served as San Francisco’s starting right tackle during a renaissance period that saw the franchise reach at least the NFC Championship Game for three consecutive seasons from 2011 to 2013. 

However, the 49ers aren’t the only team who has found good fortunes with the No. 11 overall pick, as three players selected in that spot since 2002 have gone on to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

That doesn’t include two more likely first-ballot inductees in former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and perennial All-Pro defensive lineman J.J. Watt, who are sure to be immortalized in Canton when they’re eligible.

Nearly half of the players selected No. 11 overall since 2001 have gone on to become Pro Bowl players, with five of them earning multiple First-Team All-Pro selections during their NFL careers.

Here are some notable players taken with the No. 11 overall pick since 2000:

Freeney spent 16 years in the NFL, earning seven Pro Bowl selections and three First-Team All-Pro selections while serving as a key cog of the Indianapolis Colts’ Super Bowl XLI win.

Roethlisberger spent his entire 18-year NFL career with the Steelers, winning two Super Bowls and earning six Pro Bowl selections while throwing for 64,088 yards — the fifth-most in NFL history.

Ware widely is regarded as one of the best pass rushers in NFL history, earning four First-Team All-Pro selections and nine Pro Bowl nods during his 12-year career. Ware helped lead the Denver Broncos to a win in Super Bowl 50 and was inducted in the Hall of Fame in the class of 2023.

A polarizing figure, Cutler was a gunslinging quarterback who carved out a nice 12-year career, starting over 153 games combnined for the Broncos, Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins. He also earned Pro Bowl honors in 2008.

A player that needs no introduction, Willis spent his entire eight-year career with the 49ers, where he was one of the NFL’s best defensive players year in and year out. Willis earned five First-Team All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowl nods, rightfully taking his place among the game’s immortals after being enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2024.

In a draft loaded with superstars, Watt arguably shone the brightest. Bursting on the scene early in his career, Watt earned three NFL Defensive Player of the Year Awards to go along with five First-Team All-Pro selections and five Pro Bowl nods. Simply put, one of the most dominant players the NFL has ever seen at his peak.

Lattimore made an immediate impact upon entering the league, earning Pro Bowl and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors while starring for the New Orleans Saints’ secondary. Lattimore has earned four Pro Bowl selections in his eight-year career and spent a considerable amount of time being viewed as one of the NFL’s top defensive backs.

Originally drafted by the Dolphins, Fitzpatrick truly hit his stride after being traded to the Steelers in his second season. Since then, the talented defensive back has gone on to earn three First-Team All-Pro selections and four Pro Bowl nods and still is viewed among the league’s best safeties in his seventh season.

While every draft class is different, the historical success of the No. 11 spot offers some optimism for the 49ers as they attempt to restock their roster for a bounce-back season in 2025.

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