Contreras Leads Brewers to Title and MVP Honor
The 28-year-old catcher batted .381 during the series and won 10 of 13 ball-strike appeals under the new automated challenge system.
By Larissa Shah ·
Milwaukee has secured its first World Series championship, a feat anchored by the offensive production and defensive leadership of catcher William Contreras. The 28-year-old was named the Most Valuable Player of the series, marking the eighth time a catcher has received the honor. He batted .381 for the duration of the World Series and helped guide the pitching staff to victory.
Contreras operated within a new framework for this postseason, as it was the first World Series to utilize the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system. He exercised this right 13 times and successfully overturned 10 of those calls. In the final game, he contributed to the 4-1 win over San Diego with a double that drove in a run, securing the series for Milwaukee on Wednesday night.
Reliever Aaron Ashby described Contreras as the central figure of the organization. "He posts every day," Ashby said. "This team’s not what it is without this guy. He’s unbelievable." The recognition extended to his family as well, as he embraced his older brother, Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras, moments after the award ceremony. Willson won a championship with the Chicago Cubs in 2016.
Contreras expressed deep personal pride regarding his home country, Venezuela. He draped a Venezuelan flag over his shoulders during the field celebration. Although he batted 0 for 13 in the World Baseball Classic earlier this year, he viewed the series victory as a historic milestone for his nation. "It means everything because that’s the first time Venezuela guys win the WBC," he said. "It’s history, history for my country. I love Venezuela. It’s my country."
The award places Contreras in a limited group of catchers who have won the series MVP, including Gene Tenace in 1972, Johnny Bench in 1976, and Salvador Perez in 2015. He earned the spot after a regular season in which he batted .270 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs, leading Milwaukee to its fourth consecutive National League Central title.
During the postseason, Contreras maintained a high batting average. He hit .444 with two solo home runs in the Division Series against San Diego. In the Championship Series, he batted .357 with one home run and three RBIs while Milwaukee swept the Los Angeles Dodgers.
