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Brewers Exercise William Contreras' 2027 Option
The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Monday that they exercised their $15.5 million 2027 club option on All-Star catcher William Contreras, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. It was a no-brainer for the World Series champions after Contreras was named World Series MVP for both his offensive and defensive contributions in the win over the Tampa Bay Rays in the Fall Classic. The Venezuelan backstop was one of the best all-around catchers in both the regular season and the playoffs, and he went 8-for-21 with four RBI and two runs scored in the five-game series against the Rays in the World Series. Overall against Tampa, he slashed .373/.448/.588 with three home runs, two doubles, nine RBI, seven runs scored, and even a stolen base in 51 plate appearances. The 28-year-old will be one of the first catchers off the board in 2027 fantasy drafts after also hitting .270/.341/.417 with a .758 OPS, 18 homers, 94 RBI, and 82 runs scored in 147 regular-season games in his fourth year in Milwaukee. Contreras has hit at least 17 home runs since the start of his 2022 season, his last in Atlanta.
Source: MLB.com - Adam McCalvy
Source: MLB.com - Adam McCalvy
William Contreras Named World Series MVP
Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras was named the World Series MVP after helping the Brewers win their first-ever championship over the Tampa Bay Rays in five games, according to MLB. The 28-year-old Venezuelan backstop became the eighth catcher to be voted World Series MVP after hitting .381 while throwing out four attempted base-stealers and winning 10 of his 13 appeals in the first World Series with the automated ball-strike system. Contreras capped it off with an RBI double in the 4-1 win to clinch the series on Wednesday night in Tampa. "He's our pit bull. You don't just walk up and pet him. There's a chance you get nipped," manager Pat Murphy said. During the regular season, Contreras, a three-time All-Star, hit .270 with 18 home runs and a career-best 94 RBI to help Milwaukee win their fourth straight National League Central title. He also led the league with 185 challenges and 105 overturns during the regular season. Contreras won 22 of 33 ABC challenges in the playoffs. Going into his eighth year in the big leagues next year, Contreras will continue to be one of the better upside options offensively at the catcher position in fantasy baseball.
Source: MLB
Source: MLB
William Contreras Stays Hot in Game 3 Win in World Series
Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras has been the team's MVP throughout the postseason, and he had another big game offensively in the 10-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night to put the Brewers one win away from their first-ever World Series title. Contreras went 3-for-5 at the plate with an RBI, a run scored, and a strikeout. The 28-year-old Venezuelan has been a tough out at the plate while also providing stellar defense behind the plate for the Brew Crew in October. He hit .270/.341/.417 with a .758 OPS, 18 home runs, 94 RBI, 82 runs scored, and a stolen base in 566 at-bats during the regular season, but he has taken it to another level in the playoffs. After Contreras' three-hit game in Tampa in Game 3 of the Fall Classic, he is now hitting an absurd .419 (18-for-43) with three home runs, one double, eight RBI, six runs scored, and one stolen base in 49 plate appearances across 11 games played. He continues to be Milwaukee's heart and soul on offense and defense.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
William Contreras Continues to Swing Hot Bat in Game 1 of World Series
Milwaukee Brewers All-Star catcher William Contreras is not slowing down this postseason. In the 3-2 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays at American Family Field on Friday night in Game 1 of the World Series, Contreras was at it again, going 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a walk. Contreras had a scorching RBI single off the glove of Rays shortstop Taylor Walls to put the Brewers up 2-0, and he also threw out a runner at third base late in the game to end an inning. The All-Star backstop threw out two Rays baserunners in the game. "Contreras was incredible," manager Pat Murphy said. "If anybody doesn't notice the contributions of Contreras, he was the player of the game." The 28-year-old Venezuelan has been doing it all season, and it has not stopped with the calendar switching to October. In nine postseason games for the Brew Crew, Contreras has gone 13-for-33 (.394) with three home runs, a double, six RBI, and five runs scored in 39 plate appearances. He is the heart and soul of Milwaukee's offense and defense as they seek their first-ever World Series title.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
William Contreras Ignites Brewers Offense in Game 2 Win
Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras continued to be a star offensively for the Brew Crew in the team's Game 2 win over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series on Monday. Contreras went 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run, three RBI, and a walk to help Milwaukee take a commanding 2-0 series lead, with the teams heading to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Wednesday. The 28-year-old Venezuelan backstop continues to be one of the best all-around catchers in the game, and he is showing the world this postseason. The three-time All-Star hit .270/.341/.417 with a .758 OPS, 18 home runs, a career-high 94 RBI, 82 runs scored, and a stolen base in 147 games and 640 plate appearances during the regular season. Contreras has been even better in the playoffs, going 9-for-23 (.391) with three home runs, five RBI, four runs scored, and four walks in six games against the Dodgers and San Diego Padres. He will look to keep it up in Game 3 in L.A. on Wednesday as the Brewers look to put a stranglehold on the Dodgers in the series.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Brewers Acquire Catcher Bo Naylor From the Guardians
The Milwaukee Brewers acquired catcher Bo Naylor and pitcher Codi Heuer from the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday in exchange for pitcher Craig Yoho and outfielder Blake Perkins, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Naylor, 26, was demoted to the minors by Cleveland after 28 games in the first half of the season, in which he hit just .143/.200/.238 with a .438 OPS, two home runs, seven RBI, and four runs scored in 90 plate appearances. In 45 games on the farm at Triple-A Columbus, Naylor has hit .225/.344/.438 with a .781 OPS, seven home runs, 24 RBI, 25 runs scored, and four steals in 189 plate appearances. The Brewers are set with William Contreras and Gary Sanchez as their catchers at the major-league level right now, so Naylor is expected to report to Triple-A Nashville to continue working on his offensive approach in the minors after the trade.
Source: New York Post - Jon Heyman
Source: New York Post - Jon Heyman
Should You Buy Low on William Contreras?
Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras was drafted as one of the best bats from behind the plate, but he has had an underwhelming first half of the season. His power numbers and his walk rate are down a bit, but his batting average has bounced back after dipping to .260 last season. His hard-hit rate is down from last year as well, but this barrel rate is up. He has been struggling coming into the All-Star break, hitting only .171 with a 20% hard-hit rate in his first 10 games in July, which may cause his managers to be willing to part with him at a lower price. However, he remains a reliable, proven option behind the plate at a position without much depth. He is in the middle of a very productive lineup, and in each of the last four seasons, he has been significantly better after the All-Star break. He may not reach his ceiling totals this season, but if you can get him at a discount, he can be a reliable anchor behind the plate for the rest of the season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
