Willson Contreras Makes David Ortiz Red Sox History

The Boston Red Sox stuck gold with the addition of Willson Contreras this past offseason.

Boston landed the three-time All-Star and cash from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Hunter Dobbins, Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita. Contreras has 15 games under his belt in a Red Sox jersey and is slashing .302/.448/.509 with a .957 OPS. Boston's offense hasn't been great to kick off the season, but Contreras has been a guy who has carried the load from the right side of the plate.

Wilyer Abreu has been Boston's best left-handed hitter and Contreras has been the best overall right-handed hitter for the club. On top of his impressive slash line, Contreras is tied with Abreu for the team lead with three homers. He's also tied with Trevor Story for the team lead with 11 RBIs.

Contreras is red-hot for the club right now and actually has made a bit of team history as well. Former Red Sox director of baseball communications and media relations JP Long shared on X that Contreras became the first Red Sox player since David Ortiz in 2012 to reach base 30 times or more in the team's first 15 games of the season.

The Red Sox first baseman is thriving

Apr 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (40) wears the green monster mask after hitting a two run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"Willson Contreras is the first Red Sox player since David Ortiz (2012) to reach base at least 30 times in the team’s first 15 games of a season," Long wrote. "Contreras is the first player to reach base 30+ times in his first 15 games as a member of the Red Sox since Kyle Schwarber (2021)."

Now that's how to make a first impression with Red Sox fans. Contreras has played in just 15 games as a member of the Red Sox and has been great offensively, tossed shade at the Milwaukee Brewers and threatened to charge the mound, and has brought some veteran leadership and energy to the clubhouse the club has needed with Alex Bregman out the door.

Of all the moves of the offseason, the two trades with the Cardinals actually look like the best so far. Contreras has been great, of course. Also, Sonny Gray is 2-0 on the season in a Red Sox uniform and has a 2.76 ERA across 16 1/3 innings pitched. Gray has a 10-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio across his 16 1/3 innings pitched.

Things are starting to turn around for Boston and Contreras is a significant reason why.