Milwaukee catcher William Contreras wins World Series MVP
The Venezuelan stopper led the Brewers to a 4-1 victory over Tampa Bay, becoming the first catcher from his country to take home the award since Salvador Perez in 2015.
By Noah Ross ·
William Contreras was named the Most Valuable Player of the World Series on Wednesday after guiding the Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
The 28-year-old catcher, who hit .381 during the championship run, became the eighth catcher in history to receive the honor. He previously made history this year when he helped Venezuela win its first World Baseball Classic in March.
Contreras, a three-time All-Star, finished the regular season with a .270 average, 18 home runs, and a personal-best 94 runs batted in. His defense was a key component of the team's success. Manager Pat Murphy described the Venezuelan as a "pit bull" who commands respect on the field.
The Brewers secured their fourth consecutive National League Central division title and their first World Series crown. During the postseason, Contreras hit .444 with two solo home runs against the San Diego Padres in the divisional series. He then batted .357 with one home run and three runs batted in during the sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the championship series.
In the final game, Contreras hit a key double that added to the scoring. He also led the league in automated ball-strike challenge usage, filing 185 appeals during the regular season and successfully overturning 105 calls. In the postseason, he was right 22 times out of 33 challenges.
Following the award, Contreras hugged his older brother, Willson, who is the first baseman for the Boston Red Sox. Willson previously won a World Series with the Chicago Cubs in 2016. William Contreras called his brother his role model and best friend.
The award was not the only distinction for the Brewers' roster. Rookie Cooper Pratt set a World Series record with six consecutive hits and tied a 1951 rookie record with seven runs batted in. Venezuelan teammate Jackson Chourio recorded 11 hits, the most by any player in a five-game World Series. Starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski went 2-0 with one earned run in 10.2 innings, while reliever Aaron Ashby pitched 5.2 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and a save.
Source: WTMO-CD
