David RossINFIELDERS (5)Javier BáezKris BryantAnthony RizzoAddison RussellBen ZobristOUTFIELDERS (6)Albert Almora Jr.Chris Coghlan It’s now well within the realm of possibility that he could become MLB’s best overall. For the Chilean footballer, see, 2018 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby, List of Major League Baseball players with a home run in first major league at bat, List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela, "Smokies' catcher Willson Contreres honors family by playing the right way - News Sentinel Story", "Willson Contreras emerges as Cubs best catching prospect", "Willson Contreras, Ryan Williams top Cubs' minor leaguers - News Sentinel Story", "Cubs name catcher Willson Contreras and right-handed pitcher Ryan Williams Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year", "2 key hits by Giancarlo Stanton help Marlins beat Cubs 4-2", "Cubs make roster moves for Rule 5 Draft", "Baseball Prospectus - Prospectus Feature: The Top 101 Prospects of 2016, With Write-Ups", "Cubs call up top prospect, catcher Contreras", "Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs - Box Score - June 19, 2016 - ESPN", "Cubs' Anthony Rizzo sits out loss with back stiffness", "Bour and Stanton each drive in 3, Marlins top Cubs 9-6", "Cubs deliver Giant stunner, advance to NLCS", "Ban of Cubs' Contreras reduced to one game", "MLB Players Weekend to showcase unique nicknames, colorful uniforms", "What's in a nickname? Carrie Muskat has covered the Cubs since 1987, and for MLB.com since 2001. [21] On May 11 he had his first career walk-off hit, a solo shot off the Milwaukee Brewers' Burch Smith, ending a 15-inning marathon. Kyle SchwarberJorge Soler. In 2010, he batted .313 in 17 games at age 18 with them. Contreras drove in a run with a double in the seventh game. [26][27] Contreras married Andrea Villamizar on May 3, 2018. Joe Maddon, Cubs will make 'absolutely voluntary' White House trip. 2017 season. Dexter FowlerJason Heyward In 2011 and 2012 he played with the Boise Hawks. He made his professional debut with the Dominican Summer League Cubs that year. Cubs catcher Miguel Montero blames Jake Arrieta for Nats' stolen bases. He finished his 2018 campaign batting .249 with ten home runs and 54 RBIs in 138 games. Share. Willson Contreras ranked near the bottom of the league in pitch framing just one year ago, but now the statistics show he’s the best defensive catcher in the league. “[Willson] is consistently taking his glove from the target to the ground, and then allows himself to work up to the ball,” Cubs catching guru coach told The Athletic back in July. 2017 MLB Player Rankings for catchers: Posey is still the best catcher in baseball ... He’s now poised to take over as the No. [8] On June 19, he hit a two-run home run on the first pitch of his first major-league at-bat after two pick-off attempts by the pitcher to first base, becoming the 30th player in the modern MLB era to do so. During Game 1 of the 2016 NLCS, Montero hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the 8th inning to break a 3-3 tie and led the Cubs to an 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.It was the third pinch-hit grand slam in postseason history. ET pregame show on FS1)Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Schwarber would start during his weekly radio show on The Score 670 AM. On September 15, 2017, Contreras was ejected and suspended one game for throwing his mask, which bounced and hit umpire Jordan Baker in the shins.

That improvement has led to Contreras saving his pitchers two runs over what an average framer would have done. [25], Contreras' younger brother, William Contreras, plays for the Atlanta Braves. [24] He finished the 2019 season slashing .272/.355/.533 with 24 home runs and 64 RBIs over 105 games. Willson Contreras ranked near the bottom of the league in pitch framing just one year ago, but now the statistics show he’s the best defensive catcher in the league. It is not affiliated with or sponsored by Major League Baseball or the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs won the 2016 World Series over the Cleveland Indians, giving the Cubs their first championship in 108 years. Schwarber, who has spent the year rehabbing from a knee injury suffered in the third game of the season, was added to the Cubs' playoff roster.Not only is Schwarber on the roster, but he's starting as the designated hitter in Game 1 against the Indians at Progressive Field.• Game 2: Wednesday, 7 p.m. Contreras spent 2013 with the Kane County Cougars, 2014 with the Daytona Cubs and 2015 with the Tennessee Smokies. He will be scrambling for tickets. And for that we thank you! His first was on Saturday night in Mesa, Ariz., for the Solar Sox, and he went 0-for-3. Willson Eduardo Contreras (born May 13, 1992) is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). Schwarber, who has spent the year rehabbing from a knee injury suffered in the third game of the season, was added, CLEVELAND -- All it took was two games, some batting practice and lots of hard work over the season by Kyle Schwarber to make it to the World Series. [9] In his fifth game, he started at the first base position,[10] and started in left field in his eighth game, establishing himself as a versatile player on the field. On Monday, he was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, and that apparently was all the Cubs needed to see.Schwarber gives the Cubs a potent left-handed bat at designated hitter. That’s not an easy task. Too bad baseball can't ask Shakespeare", "Contreras hits HR off scoreboard to ignite Cubs", "Javy Baez, Willson Contreras and Jon Lester named All-Stars", https://www.mlb.com/player/willson-contreras-575929, https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-cubs-walkoff-home-run-willson-contreras-509805031.html, https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/contreras-baez-all-star-game-starters, https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/willson-contreras-injury-update-cubs-catcher-exits-game-leg-injury/1qek5rmcnmi0h132ug6xp2lo8c, https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/cubs-2020-roster-outlook-willson-contreras-health-critical-teams-success, "Cubs' Willson Contreras and girlfriend engaged", "Willson Contreras gets married Thursday", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Willson_Contreras&oldid=980622757, Major League Baseball players from Venezuela, Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Hit a Home Run in first Major League At-Bat, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 27 September 2020, at 14:50. Chicago Cubs Score and Recap (9/30/20): Marlins 5, Cubs 1 - Marlins Homers Doom Cubs in Game 1 - Cubs Insider https://t.co/oEmOapMAI3, MLB Planning to Sell 11,500 Tickets to NLCS, World Series Games in Arlington - Cubs Insider https://t.co/LsDmU9CFJq. A team official confirmed to MLB.com that the left-handed hitter was starting in Game 1.:: Complete World Series coverage ::The Cubs will go with 11 pitchers and dropped rookie Rob Zastryzny off their 25-man roster roster.• Shop for Cubs World Series and NL champs gearSchwarber, who tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee on April 7 in a freak collision with teammate Dexter Fowler in the outfield, got the go-ahead from his orthopedic surgeon and the Cubs medical staff to play in games.

But consider the possibility that his stellar framing continues and he breaks out of his offensive slump. 1 catcher for the Cubs in 2017. Oct 16, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher David Ross (3) in the dugout before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of … [28], This article is about the baseball player.

[5] The Cubs added him to their 40-man roster after the season. On April 2, 2017, Contreras was the Cubs' opening day starting catcher against the St. Louis Cardinals. The noticeable defensive improvements couldn’t have come at a better time since Contreras has produced 11% fewer scaled runs than an average MLB hitter. According Baseball Prospectus, Contreras is the cream of the crop among his peers in catcher defensive adjustment and called strikes above average, among others. CHICAGO -- Understanding what the Chicago Cubs will do behind the plate in 2017 begins with understanding veteran Miguel Montero. Cubs Insider is an unofficial Cubs website. Willson Contreras ET game time on FOX (6 p.m. She writes a blog, Muskat Ramblings. With retired Chicago Cubs catcher David Ross and Chicago's own Mr. T among the celebrity lineup for the new season of "Dancing with the Stars," ... 2017, 1:06pm CDT Share this story. [6], Contreras was rated 57th on Baseball Prospectus' top 101 prospect list prior to the 2016 season.[7]. CLEVELAND -- All it took was two games, some batting practice and lots of hard work over the season by Kyle Schwarber to make it to the World Series. Cubs Insider is supported in part by affiliate advertising programs and links. Montero entered Game 7 of the 2016 World Series in the bottom of the 9th inning as a defensive replacement for Cubs backup catcher David Ross. Contreras had a fast start to the 2019 season, batting .315 with an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.069 into mid-May. After hitting 5 home runs in 6 games, he was selected as the National League's Player of the Week on August 8. [23] On August 3, Contreras strained his hamstring running to first base and was put on the 10-day injured list. Cubs Insider © Copyright 2020, All Rights Reserved, Meanwhile on the South Side: Sox Come Up Short in Game 2, MLB Planning to Sell 11,500 Tickets to NLCS, World Series Games in Arlington. Facebook Twitter Reddit Pocket. The 2017 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the Los Angeles Dodgers against the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs for the National League pennant and the right to play in the 2017 World Series.The series was a rematch of the 2016 NLCS, which Chicago won four games to two en route to their first World Series victory since 1908.

[11] Contreras finished the 2016 regular season with 80 hits in 295 at bats with 12 home runs, 35 RBIs and a .275 batting average. ... Gallery: 2017 ejections. All three have hit home runs in the postseason.PITCHERS (11)Jake ArrietaAroldis ChapmanCarl Edwards Jr.Justin GrimmKyle HendricksJohn LackeyJon LesterMike MontgomeryHéctor RondónPedro StropTravis WoodCATCHERS (3)
However, as the Cubs did in 2016 and 2017, San Diego could use their stacked farm system to acquire impact big league talent in an attempt to win in 2020 and beyond.
He batted .205 in 29 games at age 17. Batting .287 with seven home runs and 34 RBIs,[20] Contreras was voted to start in the 2018 All-Star Game, his first All-Star appearance. [12] The Cubs won the 2016 World Series over the Cleveland Indians, giving the Cubs their first championship in 108 years. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'cubsinsider_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_2',121,'0','0']));These impressive results aren’t just a fluke, they’re the product of very deliberate work throughout the offseason and shutdown. ET pregame show on FS1), Shop for Cubs World Series and NL champs gear. [1][2] He was named the Cubs Minor League Player of the Year in 2015 after batting .333/.413/.478 with eight home runs.

Former Cubs catcher David Ross is returning to diamond – for the Kansas Stars ... 2017.