Brewers Star Slugger Already Turning Heads Before Opening Day

The Brewers have one of the best catchers in the league and he's primed for a huge season...

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) takes out Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernández (37) at home during the fourth inning of the of their National League Championship Series game October 13, 2025 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers are one of the best teams in the league, but they recently cut ties with Freddy Peralta in a blockbuster trade. Still, they have one of the better rosters in the sport, as long as all of their pieces can continue to trend in the right direction.

They have quite a bit of talent at the top of their roster, including multiple All-Stars and Gold Glove candidates. Going forward, the Brewers will need their top players to carry the load after cutting ties with Peralta.

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Just Baseball's Jordan Leandre recently listed Brewers catcher William Contreras as the second-best catcher in the league, only trailing Seattle Mariners superstar Cal Raleigh.

Williams Contreras could put together a huge year for the Brewers

Oct 13, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) talks to Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman (25) at second base after the fourth inning during game one of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

"It goes to show how good Contreras is that his 2025 could be seen as disappointing. Last season, he saw career lows in slugging, average, and isolated power, but he still popped 17 homers and added 28 doubles," Leandre wrote. He also controls the running game and remains steady as a blocker. He’s even an above-average framer, leading to his 73rd percentile finish in fielding run value last year.

"Breaking pitches gave him trouble in 2025, as his average against them dropped 54 points, and his slugging against them suffered even more. But if he can find a happy balance between 2024 and 2025, Contreras should return to the standard he set in his previous two years with the Brewers."

Contreras has consistently been one of the best offensive catchers in the league. For the last four years, he's posted very good numbers including 111, 130, 124, and 136 OPS+'s over those years, respectively.

Contreras is also a solid defender. He's able to control the running game and block at a solid rate.

The Brewers will be relying heavily on his production this year. Contreras is going to be a middle of the lineup bat for the Brewers all season and they need him to continue crushing the ball to make it back to the postseason.

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