It was Corbin Burnes, making his first appearance against his old team since being sent to Baltimore in a major trade this past February. William Contreras, who batted leadoff on Sunday for just the third time in his brief career, was his first opponent. In just two pitches, Contreras solidified his position as one of the new faces of Brewers baseball as the team adjusts to life after Burnes. Then, at Camden Yards, Contreras hit his fourth home run of the year with a cutter that traveled at 96 mph, clearing the center-field wall. The player won the 2021 NL Cy Young Award.
It was the 26-year-old catcher’s most recent sweet swing during an incredible start to 2024; his 195 wRC+ presently ranks top-12 among.
Contreras has risen quickly in the big-league backstop hierarchy since coming from Atlanta in the December 2022 trade that brought the Braves another elite catcher in Sean Murphy from Oakland. Even though he is happy with his current situation, it was not easy to be traded by the only company he had ever worked for, despite the opportunity it presented.
Through assistant coach Daniel de Mondesert, who served as an interpreter, Contreras said to Yahoo Sports, “It was hard at first.” “However, after I arrived at spring training and got to know my teammates, I felt really at ease and content to be here.”
