William Contreras captures World Series MVP as Brewers claim first title

William Contreras Captures World Series MVP as Milwaukee Brewers Claim First Title

I don’t have words to say for how I’m feeling, Contreras said after winning the award. Petersburg, Fla. Contreras batted .381 across the Fall Classic, steering a pitching staff that limited the Tampa Bay Rays to 2.4 runs per game and securing a 4-1 series victory.

The 28-year-old backstop finished the five-game series slashing .381/.435/.429 with an OPS of .864, two walks, four RBIs, two runs scored, and one stolen base. His standout performance earned him MVP honors over teammate Cooper Pratt, who slashed .421/.455/.684 against Tampa Bay and put together a streak of six consecutive at-bats with a hit, setting a World Series record for a rookie with his run of six consecutive hits across Games 4 and 5.

Defensive Dominance and Mastery of the ABS Challenge System

Contreras also excelled behind the plate by successfully winning 10 of 13 appeals under Major League Baseball’s inaugural Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system.

Contreras brought an aggressive approach to the electronic strike zone, making 32 total ABS challenges during the postseason with a 66% success rate, which added 0.8 Runs Above Average for Milwaukee. Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell told MLB.com that the team trusted his judgment completely behind the plate throughout the run, noting, He’s been doing it all year long, and we’ve got a lot of trust in him when he’s doing that. If we can, we like to save them for him, because those are the situations that we probably need it the most. Contreras caught all 12 postseason games for the Brewers, expertly handling a pitching staff that stifled opponents with a 2.06 ERA, while the Guardians’ Patrick Bailey and the Rays’ Liam Hicks have used the ABS system 35 total times — 15 for Bailey and 20 for Hicks — through Game 4 of the World Series. During the regular season, Contreras was MLB’s most frequent challenger, tapping his head 185 times — 49 more than second-place Tyler Stephenson — and stating on MLB Network ahead of Game 3, Whenever I want to challenge, I call it. I’m not afraid to lose my challenge, and adding, I trust my pitcher.

More on this story: Brewers defeat Rays 5-4 to take 2-0 World Series lead · Brewers Edge Rays 3-2 in World Series Game 1

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