MILWAUKEE — At long last, William Contreras finally got a day off.
Well, sort of … at least by Contreras’ standards.
As he has been for each of the Milwaukee Brewers’ first 39 games this season, Contreras was once again in the starting lineup Sunday afternoon. But for the first time in a week — and just the sixth time this season — Contreras was not behind the plate when the Brewers took on the St. Louis Cardinals in the finale of a four-game series at American Family Field.
In all, Contreras has started 77 consecutive games for the Brewers. His last full day off came on August 20 of last season. He returned to the starting lineup two days later when Milwaukee returned from an off-day to open a two-game series and played all but six innings of the team’s final 37 games — slashing .331/.429/.500 with five homers, 25 RBI, and a .929 OPS during that stretch.
He’s managed to top those numbers while maintaining his durability and becoming a strong leader for the Brewers this season. Coming into Sunday’s game against St. Louis, Contreras was slashing .342/.427/.526 with five home runs, 22 RBI, and a .953 OPS.
“He’s unconscious right now,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “They’re trying to pitch around him and he’s still hitting — and he’s doing it for us in big positions.”
William Contreras is the first catcher with 50+ hits in their team’s first 40 games since Pudge in 2000 (59). pic.twitter.com/DPWZw945dD
— StatMuse MLB (@statmusemlb) May 12, 2024
William Contreras, Christian Yelich are Early MVP Candidates for Brewers
Contreras Contributing in Different Ways
Even when he’s not hitting, Contreras is still finding ways to contribute and there are no better examples than his box score lines from Friday and Saturday nights.
Contreras collected a hit in each of those contests — both doubles — but also drew a pair of walks each night and for Murphy, those walks were more indicative of his offensive ability than his hits.
“That’s the type of thing that’s got to happen. When the game deals you a walk, you have to talk the walk. I really believe that. These guys want to hit and want to be the guy but if the game says the ball is going to be down and away, you’re not going to do anything with it anyway. So you’ve got to learn to pass the baton and sometimes that’s hard but William has done a great job of that all year. He’s winning pitches and taking whatever the game gives him.”
When Contreras does pass the baton, good things tend to happen and, again, look no further than Friday and Saturday nights for proof. Contreras scored five runs in those two games and one more Sunday, giving him 37 for the season — the most among all National League players.
Among the Best
Contreras’ name appears all over the National League leaderboards. Heading into Sunday’s 4-3 loss to the Cardinals, Contreras ranked second in OBP (.427) and hits (52), third in doubles (13), fourth in RBI (30) and batting average (.342), and fifth with 80 total bases and 18 extra-base hits.
Put it all together and combine it with the Brewers’ early-season success and Contreras is a bona fide contender for the NL MVP Award come season’s end.
For that to happen, though, Contreras will have to stay healthy which means at some point, Murphy knows he will need to give him an actual day off.
“He’s a warrior in that he wants to compete every day,” Pat Murphy said. “He doesn’t want to back off; he doesn’t know how to back off. He just wants to attack. It’s hard, because he doesn’t ever want to be out of there and we need him to stay healthy. But you can’t tell a lion not to hunt.”
Yelich Showing Old Form
As well as William Contreras has performed so far, he’s not the only Milwaukee player worthy of early MVP consideration, as he’s joined by former winner Christian Yelich.
Yelich, the last Brewer to win the award, is looking more and more like the player who earned MVP honors in 2018 and might have repeated had a September knee injury not cut his 2019 season short.
Though the sample size is considerably smaller due to a month-long stint on the injured list with back soreness, Yelich has been phenomenal so far this season.
Through 15 games, including a 2-for-3 performance Sunday against the Cardinals, Yelich is slashing .364/.435/.691 with five home runs, 13 RBI, and a 1.126 OPS. He has also swiped three bases and drawn seven walks while only striking out 11 times in 63 plate appearances.
“Yeli’s just performing,” Murphy said. “He’s rarely been overmatched and he’s rarely been being beaten.”
The 12-year veteran, now in his seventh season with the Brewers, got off to a ferocious start before his injury (.286/.375/.750) but is showing no signs of rust since returning. After going 0-for-5 in his first game back, Yelich is 7-for-16 with a triple, two RBI, and four runs scored. If Yelich and Contreras keep up their current pace, expect both to be in the MVP conversation toward season’s end.
Up Next
Right-hander Colin Rea (3-0, 3.29 ERA) looks to stay unbeaten Monday night when the Brewers open a three-game series against right-hander Mitch Keller (3-3, 4.41) and the Pittsburgh Pirates at American Family Field. The teams split a four-game series last month in Pittsburgh, with the Pirates taking the first two contests and the Brewers winning the last two.
Photo Credit: © Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
