How William Contreras learned to love catching

This story was originally published on Monday, July 15, 2024.

MILWAUKEE -- On the way to becoming one of baseball’s best all-around catchers, William Contreras was a middle infielder. He manned second base and shortstop while growing up in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, where William and older brothers Willmer and Willson played with homemade baseballs made from wadded paper and tape.

When he signed for a modest $10,000 with the Braves in 2015, William moved behind the plate.

It’s where he belonged.

“I love being a catcher,” he said. “It’s what I do. I love being in the middle of the field. I love being the only person who has everybody in front of you.”

There was a time not long ago when Contreras was far more focused on the batter’s box than the catcher’s box. He hit his way to the Majors with Atlanta as a 22-year-old in 2020 and was an All-Star by ‘22, when Contreras replaced an injured Bryce Harper and drew a start as the NL’s designated hitter. It was a chance to bat in the same lineup as his big brother.

Now, it is William’s turn to catch a Midsummer Classic. He led NL catchers in both rounds of fan balloting to earn a spot in the starting lineup alongside Milwaukee’s other All-Star, outfielder Christian Yelich.

That metamorphosis -- designated hitter last time, catcher this time -- is befitting of Contreras’ career arc.

“Two years ago, hitting was the best. That was my focus,” Contreras said. “Now, I’m the catcher of the Milwaukee Brewers. I have to take care of everybody -- the starting pitchers, the relievers, everybody. And we’re in first place, so that’s perfect.”

The first-place Brewers are led by their two All-Stars. Yelich is back to hitting at an MVP level and appeared at the top of the NL leaderboards just last week after reclaiming the plate appearances he’d lost during an earlier stint on the injured list. And Contreras is making his own mark after last season becoming the first catcher in Brewers history to win a Silver Slugger Award.

But while fans see him compile offensive numbers, they don’t get to witness how Contreras has helped corral the chaos for an injury-plagued pitching staff, and lift the Brewers back into MLB’s top 10 in team ERA.

“I got the sense I was waiting for him,” said Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, asked to recall meeting Contreras after a three-team trade brought him to Milwaukee for Spring Training in 2023. “Like his brother, they are different than they look on the outside. They are hustling all the time. Like right now, it’s not official practice time, but he’s out there hitting with Willy [Adames]. You never see him just sitting here in the clubhouse.

“At the end of the day, I understand him in a lot of little ways. I’m kind of the same way. I don’t like to be under the eye of everybody. I like to be working. He’s the same way.”

Peralta has grown to know Contreras as a friend over clubhouse games of dominoes, and during off-day barbecues at Peralta’s home, where he puts a Dominican spin on ribeye steaks and pork ribs. For Peralta, it’s a chance to take care of Contreras after the catcher takes care of pitchers every game day.

The Brewers pitcher who knows Contreras best is Bryse Wilson, a teammate in the Braves system as far back as the rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2016.

“He could always hit,” Wilson said. “It was almost like, ‘Is he going to care enough to work to be really good back there [as a catcher]?’ Because you can hit .300 and be a below-average catcher and play 10 years in the big leagues. But now that he’s putting in the effort to hit .300 and be a well above-average catcher, that makes all the difference.”

The value of hard work was instilled in the Contreras brothers by their strict parents. Olga was a janitor at a local school and William Sr. was in business with his brother, and they both worked long hours. It gave the boys opportunities to sneak away from their studies to play baseball.

Those were “beautiful moments,” William said. They happened while no one was watching, just like so many of his best moments today.

“Fans love to watch the game, but they don’t know what I have to do every day in the clubhouse,” Contreras said. “They pay to see the show, and that’s no problem. But the Brewers pay me to do my job -- and that’s to take care of the pitchers.”