The Brewers Most Valuable Player: William Contreras

The Milwaukee Brewers have made a lot of smart calculated moves in recent years. One of their smartest moves was acquiring William Contreras in a trade with the Athletics and Braves. Since coming to Milwaukee, Contreras has blossomed into a star and been arguably Milwaukee’s best overall player. This season, Contreras was an all-star and has proven invaluable in catching Milwaukee’s constantly shuffling pitching staff. Acquiring the young catcher back in 2022 has proven to be a very smart decision by the Brewers. He’s arguably Milwaukee’s most valuable player.

The Deal To Get William Contreras

During the 2022 offseason, the Milwaukee Brewers were looking to upgrade their catcher position. Omar Narvaez left as a free agent and Victor Caratini was better suited to be a backup at the time. Fortunately for Milwaukee, an opportunity to fill that presented itself that December. The Atlanta Braves decided to get a new starting catcher. This was despite having William Contreras who was an all-star the previous season and had a lot of team control remaining. Enter the Oakland Athletics, who were commencing their annual sale of players who were getting more expensive. Atlanta wanted Sean Murphy, and while they offered Contreras to Oakland, the Athletics foolishly declined. Instead, Milwaukee swooped in and acquired the young catcher along with Joel Payamps and a minor leaguer. The only player Milwaukee gave up was then top prospect, Esteury Ruiz.

William Contreras Has Been A Smashing Success In Milwaukee

Since becoming a Brewer, William Contreras has thrived. In almost two seasons, the two-time all-star has slashed .286/.362/451 with 29 home runs, 141 RBI, and an OPS of .813. He received MVP votes in 2023 and earned a Silver Slugger award that same year as well. This season, Contreras was an all-star and even started the game. Contreras has also helped Milwaukee’s constantly shuffling pitching staff to an ERA of 3.74 which is the fourth-best in the National League.

He Is The Leader Of The Brewers Offense

With Christian Yelich out, the 26-year-old will be relied upon to lead the Brewers offense. Contreras has proven he was ready for the challenge. His hot bat has helped the Milwaukee Brewers average 4.89 runs per game. Contreras’s success on offense is a big reason why the Brewers have been in first place all season. His offensive prowess has allowed guys like Willy Adames, Rhys Hoskins, and rookies Jackson Chourio and Joey Ortiz to have success as well.

Acquiring Contreras Was One Of The Brewer’s Smarter Moves

Trading for William Contreras was one of the smarter moves the franchise has ever made. This season, the Brewers offense has greatly benefited from having him in the lineup. The pitching staff can attribute a lot of their success to how he’s called games this year. Contreras has shown just how valuable he is, Milwaukee should consider keeping him around long-term. He’s clearly become the Brewer’s most valuable player.

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