Contreras earns MVP honors after leading Brewers to title

William Contreras became the eighth catcher to receive the World Series Most Valuable Player award after his performance helped the Milwaukee Brewers secure their first championship. The 28-year-old posted a .381 batting average throughout the series. He also recorded an RBI double during the 4-1 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Contreras played a central role in managing the pitching staff and utilizing the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system, which made its debut in a World Series. He won 10 of 13 appeals during the postseason run. His success with the new technology extended to the regular season, where he led Major League Baseball with 185 challenges and 105 overturns.

Reliever Aaron Ashby described Contreras as the heart and soul of the organization. Ashby noted that the team is not what it is without him and called the catcher unbelievable. He added that Contreras posts every day.

Moments after receiving the award, Contreras embraced his older brother Willson Contreras, a first baseman for the Boston Red Sox. Willson won a World Series with the Chicago Cubs in 2016. William said through tears that his brother is his best friend.

The Venezuelan native also highlighted his connection to his home country. He draped a Venezuelan flag over his shoulders during the on-field celebration. Contreras said the achievement is history for Venezuela because it marks the first time players from the country have won both the World Baseball Classic and the World Series in the same year.

Contreras was part of the Venezuelan squad that won its first World Baseball Classic in March. He joins Jackson Chourio, Antonio Senzatela, Alex Bregman, and Luke Gregerson as the only players to achieve both titles in a single calendar year. He joins a list of previous MVPs that includes Gene Tenace, Johnny Bench, Steve Yeager, Darrell Porter, Rick Dempsey, Pat Borders, and Salvador Perez.

During the regular season, Contreras batted .270 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs as the Brewers won their fourth consecutive NL Central title. He finished the postseason with strong numbers against the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He hit .444 with two home runs in the Division Series and batted .357 with one home run and three RBIs in the Championship Series sweep.