Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras is the World Series MVP.
The veteran pitcher helped lead Milwaukee to the franchise’s first World Series championship through a dominant effort with the bat and consistent efforts behind the plate. He was named MVP in Wednesday night’s 4-1 Game 5 win over Milwaukee.
Advertisement
In five World Series games, Contreras was hitting .381/.435/.429 with 2 walks, 4 RBI, 2 runs scored and 1 stolen base. He hit an RBI single in the first inning of Game 1 to give Milwaukee a 2-0 lead in what ended up being a 3-2 win.
In Wednesday’s decisive Game 5, Contreras hit a home run with a double that came around the sixth inning as the Brewers asserted control with a 4-0 lead.
Contreras was in control behind the plate throughout the series as he changed Milwaukee’s pitching staff by hitting hot streaks, limiting Tampa Bay to 2.4 runs per game. He set the defensive tone in Milwaukee’s Game 1 win with two steals to end the Rays’ threats.
Advertisement
Victor Mesa Jr. Contreras threw out on third base in the top of the fifth when lead hitter Yandy Díaz drove to the plate. Jonathan Aranda then drove in another to put Milwaukee up 2-1 in the top of the sixth.
Several Brewers voted Contreras for career MVP
You’ll be hitting the top of the MVP race, in which as many as five different Brewers have judged the cause to be reasonable.
Jackson Chourio was Milwaukee’s best hitter in the series with a .458/.458/.542 slash line and 11 total hits. His 10 hits through Game 4 tied him with Babe Ruth for the most hits through the first four games in World Series history.
Advertisement
Rookie Cooper Pratt was Milwaukee’s most productive hitter with a .421/.455/.684 line to go along with one home run and seven RBI. His run of six consecutive at-bats with a hit in Games 4 and 5 set the World Series record for a rookie.
Reliever Aaron Ashby capped one of the greatest postseason bullpen efforts in MLB history with 5 2/3 scoreless innings across three appearances in the World Series. He finished with 18 scoreless innings over nine appearances, the most ever by a reliever in one hour.
Ace Jacob Misiorowski pitched 10 2/3 innings in one through two starts, winning in Games 1 and 5. He threw 5 2/3 shutout innings to lead Milwaukee to a victory Wednesday night.
But in the end it was Contreras who deserved the hate. The honor was due to the three-time All-Star, who has been with the Brewers since the beginning of his career with four consecutive playoff appearances that began in 2023.
Advertisement
Historic first championship for the Brewers
The Brewers capped their historic season and dominant run with Wednesday’s victory to secure their first championship in franchise history.
After leading baseball to 103 wins, they then beat the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series to set up a rematch in the National League Championship Series with the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers team that swept the NLCS last year.
The Brewers went on a four-game hitting streak and needed just five games to beat the defending champion Rays. They lost just two playoff games en route to the long-awaited title.
Advertisement
There has never been any doubt that this season is the best team in baseball, and the Brewers will return home to Milwaukee to celebrate with their fans the franchise’s first championship game.