Bulked up Contreras hopes move to 1B brings big power boost

JUPITER, Fla. -- Noticeably larger through the chest and arms thanks to all the extra time he¡¯s spent in the weight room as of late, Willson Contreras¡¯ confidence was very much on display during a recent FaceTime call with his brother, Brewers catcher William Contreras.

¡°I was joking with my brother and I said, ¡®I¡¯m going to hit 62 [homers] this year,'¡± Contreras said on Tuesday after swatting several long blasts in batting practice, including one over the 30-foot-high center-field wall. ¡°It¡¯s just a joke. I don¡¯t have any numbers in mind [with homers]. Whatever comes to me, I¡¯ll take it.¡±

One of the completely intended consequences of the Cardinals moving Contreras from catcher to first base is the hope that he will have more time to focus on his hitting and be more available to be in the lineup for a higher percentage of games. Contreras had a team-best .848 OPS in 2024, but he didn¡¯t have enough at-bats to qualify statistically because he was limited to 84 games due to left forearm and right middle finger fractures.

Whereas Contreras used to arrive to camp at 235 pounds to maintain his flexibility behind the plate, he¡¯s bulked up to 247 pounds this spring with the intention of mashing more balls for a Cardinals team that desperately needs power and RBI production. For now, Contreras is reveling in the excitement of being able to put on muscle, transitioning to a new position and potentially hitting more long balls.

¡°I have plenty of time to do everything now,¡± said Contreras, who noted that he will no longer be burdened by studying opposing scouting reports and working with his own team¡¯s pitchers. ¡°Reflecting as a first baseman is totally different, and I feel relaxed and confident. One of the biggest keys to being a good hitter is having time to reflect on an at-bat or watch video to make adjustments. Now I can talk about hitting, and it feels relaxing to have time to talk to other hitters and ask them questions.¡±

As for the mechanics of playing first base and the footwork needed around the bag, Contreras showed up early to camp to work with infield guru Jos¨¦ Oquendo, and he drills daily with infield coach Stubby Clapp. Long before players even take the field at Spring Training, Contreras works with Clapp and his ¡°Red Rocket¡± ball machine that fires crisp grounders and short hops in the direction of the new first baseman.

¡°It¡¯s not an easy transition, and a lot more goes on at first base than most people realize,¡± said Clapp, who worked previously with four-time Gold Glove winner Paul Goldschmidt by hitting short hops at him with his fungo bat to simulate wild throws. ¡°We went and got [Goldschmidt] to anchor that position down, and when you anchor that spot down, it anchors everybody else because they have the confidence to throw the ball across the infield.

¡°I really think Willson is in a good spot for us. He¡¯s moving well and he¡¯s been receptive. I think he¡¯s excited to get this opportunity. You think of him being a catcher picking 95 mph fastballs out of the dirt, then something coming across the infield from [shortstop] Masyn [Winn] or [third baseman] Nolan [Arenado], he¡¯ll be used to that. The last thing for him will be where to be without the ball. He seems very receptive and he¡¯s grabbing onto it.¡±

This position switch isn¡¯t something totally new to the 32-year-old Contreras, who has caught (774 games), been a DH (121 games) and has played first base (11 games), third base (two games), left field (35 games) and right field (four games) in his nine-year MLB career. However, he hasn¡¯t played first since 2019, when he spent two games there for the Cubs.

Contreras signed a five-year, $87.5 million deal with the Cardinals before the 2023 season to replace legendary catcher Yadier Molina, but he struggled defensively the past two seasons. When the club approached him about moving to first base, Contreras was in favor if it kept him in St. Louis.

Known as a fiery competitor who doesn¡¯t particularly care for having friends on other teams, Contreras said his brother has already kidded him that his mindset must change as a first baseman.

¡°One of the things he told me when I told him I was switching positions was that I couldn¡¯t be mean anymore and that I had to start saying ¡®Hi¡¯ to people,¡± joked Contreras, who is hoping to top previous career highs in games (138 in 2018) and homers (24 in 2019) as a first baseman in 2025. ¡°It feels totally different, but I do like feeling like I have more time to do other stuff, and I¡¯m not so rushed.¡±