Biographical

Portrait of Willson Contreras

Willson Contreras CCubs

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2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 27)
PA AVG HR R RBI SB DRC+ WARP
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Birth Date5-13-1992
Height6' 1"
Weight225 lbs
Age31 years, 11 months, 4 days
BatsR
ThrowsR
2015
1.62016
2.62017
0.52018
1.82019
proj
WARP Summary

MLB Statistics

YEAR TEAM AGE G PA H 2B 3B HR BB SO HBP SB CS AVG OBP SLG DRC+ DRAA BRR FRAA BWARP
2016 CHN 24 76 283 71 14 1 12 26 67 4 2 2 .282 .357 .488 104 1.8 -0.9 4.3 1.6
2017 CHN 25 117 428 104 21 0 21 45 98 3 5 4 .276 .356 .499 116 10.0 -3.9 0.4 2.6
2018 CHN 26 138 544 118 27 5 10 53 121 13 4 1 .249 .339 .390 90 -4.5 0.6 -15.4 0.5
2019 CHN 27 105 409 98 18 2 24 38 102 9 1 2 .272 .355 .533 110 7.3 -1.9 -7.7 1.7
Career43616643918086716238829129.267.350.47010414.6-6.1-18.56.3

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shownClick to hide.
YEAR Team Lg LG G PA oppAVG oppOBP oppSLG BABIP BPF BRAA repLVL POS_ADJ DRC+ DRC+ SD FRAA BRR DRAA BWARP
2011 BOI A- NOR 60 239 .251 .327 .370 .313 104 -6 6.9 0 74 0 -2.8 0.6 -12.4 -0.8
2012 BOI A- NOR 64 266 .249 .328 .358 .337 120 -5.9 7.3 1.1 92 0 2.4 -0.6 -2.1 0.9
2013 KNC A MID 86 345 .257 .325 .379 .282 113 -1.7 9.7 3.9 100 0 1.9 1.0 -3.5 1.4
2014 DAY A+ FSL 80 317 .250 .316 .361 .297 102 -1.9 9.3 4.7 102 0 -2.0 -1.9 -5.1 0.5
2015 TEN AA SOU 126 521 .255 .329 .373 .370 101 30.1 14.0 2.6 154 0 -7.3 -0.6 19.3 3.0
2015 MSS Wnt AFL 14 61 .000 .000 .000 .286 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2016 CHN MLB NL 76 283 .253 .318 .408 .339 90 12.7 8.0 2.3 104 10 4.3 -0.9 1.8 1.6
2016 IOW AAA PCL 55 240 .263 .329 .398 .382 90 30.8 6.7 2.7 188 0 -4.5 -0.9 18.1 2.3
2017 CHN MLB NL 117 428 .255 .324 .423 .319 98 19.5 12.5 6.6 116 8 0.4 -3.9 10.0 2.6
2018 CHN MLB NL 138 544 .250 .320 .412 .313 98 2.7 15.3 8.9 90 8 -15.4 0.6 -4.5 0.5
2019 CHN MLB NL 105 409 .248 .321 .429 .314 98 17.9 12.4 7 110 7 -7.7 -1.9 7.3 1.7
2019 IOW AAA PCL 3 9 .244 .373 .418 .333 93 -0.4 0.3 0.2 59 0 0.2 0.0 -0.5 0.0

Statistics For All Levels

Minor league stats are currently shownClick to hide.
Year Team lvl LG PA AB R H 2B 3B HR TB RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG ISO SF SH
2011 BOI A- NOR 239 222 31 58 5 4 2 77 27 11 41 3 2 .261 .305 .347 .086 0 3
2012 BOI A- NOR 266 249 32 68 10 1 3 89 39 11 54 3 2 .273 .316 .357 .084 1 0
2013 KNC A MID 345 310 46 77 11 5 11 131 46 26 66 8 3 .248 .320 .423 .174 1 1
2014 DAY A+ FSL 317 281 40 68 14 2 5 101 37 28 66 5 5 .242 .320 .359 .117 2
2015 MSS Wnt AFL 61 53 10 15 5 0 3 29 8 7 9 0 0 .283 .361 .547 .264 1 0
2015 TEN AA SOU 521 454 71 151 34 4 8 217 75 57 62 4 4 .333 .413 .478 .145 3 0
2016 IOW AAA PCL 240 204 40 72 16 3 9 121 43 28 32 4 4 .353 .442 .593 .240 2 0
2016 CHN MLB NL 283 252 33 71 14 1 12 123 35 26 67 2 2 .282 .357 .488 .206 1 0
2017 CHN MLB NL 428 377 50 104 21 0 21 188 74 45 98 5 4 .276 .356 .499 .223 2 1
2018 CHN MLB NL 544 474 50 118 27 5 10 185 54 53 121 4 1 .249 .339 .390 .141 2 2
2019 IOW AAA PCL 9 7 3 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 4 0 0 .143 .333 .286 .143 0 0
2019 CHN MLB NL 409 360 57 98 18 2 24 192 64 38 102 1 2 .272 .355 .533 .261 2 0

Plate Discipline

YEAR Pits Zone% Swing% Contact% Z-Swing% O-Swing% Z-Contact% O-Contact% SwStr% CSAA
2016 1126 0.4272 0.4734 0.6867 0.6258 0.3597 0.7874 0.5560 0.3133 0.0000
2017 1593 0.4626 0.4696 0.6939 0.6459 0.3178 0.7857 0.5331 0.3061 0.0000
2018 2116 0.4589 0.4920 0.7185 0.6921 0.3223 0.8006 0.5691 0.2815 0.0000
2019 1558 0.4204 0.5000 0.6650 0.6824 0.3677 0.7696 0.5241 0.3350 0.0000
Career63930.44490.48510.69370.66650.33880.78700.54690.30630.0000

Injury History  —  No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On Date Off Transaction Days Games Side Body Part Injury Severity Surgery Date Reaggravation

Compensation

Year Team Salary
2028 SLN $5,000,000
2027 SLN $18,500,000
2026 SLN $18,000,000
2025 SLN $18,000,000
2024 SLN $18,000,000
2023 SLN $10,000,000
2022 CHN $9,625,000
2021 CHN $6,650,000
2020 CHN $4,500,000
2019 CHN $684,000
2018 CHN $604,500
2017 CHN $554,500
2016 CHN $
YearsDescriptionSalary
7 yrPrevious$32,618,000
2019Current$18,000,000
8 yrPvs + Cur$50,618,000
4 yrFuture$59,500,000
12 yrTotal$110,118,000

 

Service TimeAgentContract Status
6 y 108 dOctagon5 years/$87.5M (2023-27), 2028 option

Details
  • 5 years/$87.5M (2023-27), plus 2028 club option. Signed by St. Louis as a free agent 12/7/22. 23:$10M, 24:$18M, 25:$18M, 26:$18M, 27:$18.5M, 28:$17.5M club option ($5M buyout). Award bonuses: $250,000 for top 3 finish in MVP vote. $50,000 each for Gold Glove, WS MVP, LCS MVP, All Star election or selection. $25,000 for Silver Slugger. Full no-trade protection for 2023-26. Limited no-trade protection after 2026 allowing Contreras to block deals to 10 clubs annually. Perks: hotel suite on road.
  • 1 year/$9.625M (2022). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 6/9/22 (avoided arbitration, $10.25M-$9M).
  • 1 year/$6.65M (2021). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 1/15/21 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year/$4.5M (2020). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 1/10/20 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year/$684,000 (2019). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/19.
  • 1 year/$604,500 (2018). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/18.
  • 1 year/$554,500 (2017). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/17.
  • 1 year (2016). Contract selected by Chicago Cubs 11/20/15. Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/4/16.
  • Signed by Chicago Cubs 2009 as an amateur free agent from Venezuela.

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT PA R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG DRC+ VORP FRAA WARP
90o 46 11 2 0 2 5 10 0 0 .275 .370 .475 124 3.6 C -1, 0.0
80o 31 7 1 0 1 3 7 0 0 .259 .355 .407 118 2.1 C -1, 0.0
70o 20 5 1 0 1 2 4 0 0 .278 .350 .500 113 1.2 C -1, 0.0
60o 11 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 .222 .300 .222 110 0.6 C 0, 0.0
50o 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 106 0.1 C 0, 0.0
Weighted Mean300000100.000.000.0001060.2C 0,0.0

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BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Articles

Click here to see articles tagged with Willson Contreras

BP Chats

DateQuestionAnswer
2021-03-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)Hi Jesse, In an 8 team 5x5 NL league. Have been offered Willson Contreras for Dinelson Lamet. This is a limited keeper league (10 keepers only). Have depth at SP, but wondering if Contreras finishes the season in Chicago is a bigger risk than Lamet's health. Thanks. Adam
(aimoos15 from Los Angeles)
I'd hold Lamet over Contreras. You are right to be concerned about a potential Contreras trade (even though he is under control though 2022). (Jesse Roche)
2019-02-25 16:00:00 (link to chat)Danny Jansen looks like a lock to start in Toronto. What are realistic expectations for his stat line in 2019?
(CubbieBear from Chi-Town)
Yup, he's pretty much a lock. Conventional wisdom (and ADP) has a clear top-8 at the position, but I'm not so sure that Jansen doesn't outperform a Willson Contreras or Yadier Molina by season's end. PECOTA has .235/14/49/48/2 in 412 PA. I'll push the average up to .250, and the RBI up by 5-10, but otherwise this looks right to me. (Jon Hegglund)
2018-01-31 14:00:00 (link to chat)$280 cap 12 team keeper league - Please rank the following 4 potential keepers in terms of 2018 value: Eric Hosmer $26, Jake Lamb $11, Chris Taylor $7, Justin Smoak $6 Locked in Keepers are Willson Contreras, Jose Ramirez, Alex Bregman, Tim Anderson and Hunter Renfroe Thanks!
(Corey from Hoboken, NJ)
Taylor, Smoak, Lamb, Hosmer. Hosmer is good, despite a sabr reputation to the contrary, but he's not $20 better than Smoak. (Mark Barry)
2017-05-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)Who's the better long term fantasy asset, Aledmys Diaz or Willson Contreras?
(Buff from Colorado)
Well, Diaz turns 27 in August. Contreras turns 24 on Saturday. That in and of itself probably answers the question for me, given that you said "long term." Add that offense is harder to find at catcher than shortstop, and the decision's even easier, especially if you';re in a two-catcher league.

That being said, you should ask the same question to Mike Gianella during his chat Monday, because he, unlike me, is a fantasy expert. If he says, "No, Mains is a dope, stick with Diaz," I'd go with it. (Rob Mains)
2017-02-13 20:00:00 (link to chat)Is there gonna be much of a difference between catchers after the top 5 or 6? Am i better off waiting and picking up Rupp or d'Arnaud late?
(Dutch from Pushing too many pencils)
I think there's a big dropoff after the top 3 (Posey, Lucroy, Gary Sanchez), then another big drop after Grandal, WIllson Contreras and maybe Sal Perez. After that, I think you're right, there's a huge mass of undifferentiated interchangeable catchers. (Scooter Hotz)
2016-08-30 13:00:00 (link to chat)Wilson Contrares- next year, 130 games, .280, 15hrs ??? Eventual all-star??
(Dave from Pa)
Willson Contreras is my favorite rookie in 2016. I think you're overestimating how many games he'll play - I think it'll be a bit less. Regardless, .260 with 15 HRs with improving defense is a reasonable expectation. Not sure about All-Star, considering the ridiculous voting process and the existence of Buster Posey, but who knows. In an age of pretty boring catchers (let's face it), Contreras is a pleasant surprise. (Will Haines)
2016-06-20 16:00:00 (link to chat)Jacob Nottingham has started to hit as of late in AA. What should we be looking for out of his development this year & how does he compare with the other catcher prospects in your opinion?
(Alexei from At work)
Nottingham's development will hinder on if he can stay behind the plate or not. Otherwise he is just not that interesting as a prospect. Overall the minor league catching crop is weak...Francisco Mejia was supposed to be a guy at the top, Willson Contreras might not be an everyday catcher, Alfaro still frustrates, McGuire has a light bat, Gary Sanchez might not catch either. If a guy has offensive potential they might move that player quickly off catching because its a longer track with a lot of bad directions it could take. (Steve Givarz)
2016-06-15 20:00:00 (link to chat)Hey Grant, I'm thinking about going down to Charlotte for the AAA All-Star game. What exciting players should be down there to keep an eye on?
(Trevin from NW Ohio)
Voting is happening right now, so luckily if you go onto any PCL or Il teams website you can help decide who you will see!
Players that should be there? Willson Contreras will I assume. Orlando Arcia, Gallo, Hoffman from the PCL.
IL guys Josh Bell, Steven Moya, Glasnow. (Grant Jones)
2016-05-12 13:00:00 (link to chat)Is Willson Contreras' defense major league ready?
(Ruiz from Chicago)
Not yet. He's never going to be a stalwart, either. The bat will more than make up for the deficiencies. (Christopher Crawford)
2016-05-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)When do you think the Cubs call up Willson Contreras? It sounds like he's mostly working on the defensive end of his game in AAA like Schwarber was much like last season. Can his receiving ability improve enough that he can be the Cubs every day catcher by next season? With his plus athleticism, do you think he sticks at C or more likely to become trade bait or part of the crowded OF in Chicago?
(fightingmoose from Manitoba)
Contreras reminds me a bit of Blake Swihart with the Red Sox. I think one team (or both) is going to make a run at having a player catch 40-50 games and play outfield for 80-100. (Jim Walsh)
2016-03-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)What would Willson Contreras have to do this year to convince you he can be the Cubs long term option behind the plate?
(RJ from Naperthrill)
Make me feel better about what our framing metrics say about him. The book is very much open on him in that regard but it's hard for me to get super comfy with a long term #1 who doesn't have at least a track record of being slightly above average at framing. Again, we really don't know but Show Me is still my attitude. (Harry Pavlidis)
2016-01-29 11:00:00 (link to chat)Willson Contreras, ok, I see the hitting numbers last year, how is his defense? Is it reasonable to see him start 2017 at Wrigley?
(DudeAbides from Bowling Alley)
Last question here:

Contreras is raw behind the plate but shows a willingness to work at it, and has all the physical tools to work back there. I wouldn't assume he'd open the season there in 2017, but it's possible he arrives sometime that season. (Top 101 Chat with Craig Goldstein)
2016-01-27 19:00:00 (link to chat)Willson Contreras never put up good numbers before last year's ridiculous breakout season. I'm skeptical of such performances, what say you ?
(Artie from Morrison, IL)
A little skepticism is fine. But unless I can see a player myself, I'll take the scouts words over past minor league numbers. In Contreras' case, most scouts seem to agree he made real improvements last year. (Matt Collins)
2016-01-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)Was Willson Contreras breakout batting performance more of a product of his extraordinarily high .370 BABIP or was there some true improvements in his hitting approach?
(Cubbie Bear from Chi-Town)
No question that a .370 BABIP is unsustainable, but no, there was real improvement in the approach/swing path. If there's such thing as an underrated Cubs prospect, it's Contreras. He's one of the best catching prospects in all of baseball, maybe even the best. (Christopher Crawford)
2015-12-15 14:00:00 (link to chat)After Willson Contreras's breakout at AA, is he more valuable as part of a trade for a cost-controlled young starter or remaining on the Cubs?
(Cubs Fan in from Oman)
I wouldn't trade Contreras. It was a limited viewing, but what I saw in AFL suggests to me that he's a regular, and a really good one. What the Cubs are building right now -- and I know, you're probably sick of hearing about them if you don't live in Chicago -- is special. It's really special. (Christopher Crawford)
2015-12-01 14:00:00 (link to chat)Hi Chris, Who do you consider the best catching prospect in baseball, mainly as a hitter, but good enough defensively to guarantee staying behind the dish?
(Cal Guy from Cal)
Boy, "guaranteeing" someone will stick behind the plate right now is tough. I would probably go Alfaro or Willson Contreras. Maybe Jacob Nottingham belongs in that discussion, too. (Christopher Crawford)
2015-12-11 13:00:00 (link to chat)Hey Wilson - Are Willson Contreras and Jeimer Candelario breaking out in national prospect circles post AFL? What should we expect from them in 2016 and beyond? Thanks, awethy
(awethy from Chicago)
Only Cubs questions from now on, haha. Think the AFL introduced Contreras' breakout to some additional eyes, but he had a really, really good year translating tools into on-field talent. He'll rate highly on our Cubs list, I'm sure. Candelario's been overshadowed in the system for a long time, but has just kept doing what he does, and now that he's done it at AA he's in line for some just-deserved additional attention. Excellent defender, solid-avg power...obviously blocked in the org by Bryant, but he's a valuable prospect to have in your system. (Wilson Karaman)
2015-10-22 14:00:00 (link to chat)Seriously though, what is the plan for Schwarber now?
(JD from North of Victory)
Schwarber is another interesting element of the Cubs' interesting winter ahead. He's a better defensive left fielder than he appeared to be over the last week. He could stick just fine out there. Obviously, he has more defensive value at catcher, and that would help alleviate the jam the Cubs have out there-not only Jorge Soler and Chris Coghlan, but Billy McKinney could be knocking on the door by midsummer, and depending how the infield shakes out, Kris Bryant might become an outfield refugee. On the other hand, I can't really see Schwarber being more than an average defensive catcher, especially with regard to framing. (He was exactly average in that regard this season.) The Cubs went out of their way to add Miguel Montero and David Ross last winter, in no small part because those guys are exceptional framers. Both guys are under contract for next season and using Schwarber as a catcher crowds that picture, too. They also have Willson Contreras, who broke out as a prospect in 2015, and might well think he's the catcher of the (long-term) future. I think Schwarber breaks camp as the starting left fielder, but that's nowhere near certain yet. (Matthew Trueblood)
2015-09-30 19:00:00 (link to chat)Who's your favorite or the most interesting catching prospect right now?
(Bryan G. from Temporarily, Colorado)
There are two guys who really showed up on the scene and made a name for themselves. Jacob Nottingham in Oakland showed the ability to be a serious contributor on offense and defense. Strong, big but athletic body with real power projection and a strong arm. Has real chops for catching.

Willson Contreras is the other guy that I've heard a lot of great things about. I saw him in Kane County back when his game was immature and he was more athletic than skilled. Now he's grown into his skillset some more and he's inspired some absolutely silly grades on his athleticism and hitting ability.

Those are the two guys who are going to be near the top of C prospect lists in my opinion. (Mauricio Rubio)
2015-09-30 19:00:00 (link to chat)Do the Cubs still have a top 8 farm system?
(Randy from Iowa)
Yes and the emergence of Willson Contreras helps that out a lot. They have Gleyber Torres and Ian Happ in the farm to go along with some arms like Duane Underwood and Pierce Johnson. Opinions on Dylan Cease are mixed because of his command profile but the man throws in the upper 90's and I have heard reports that he was pressing 99 in a few starts. (Mauricio Rubio)
2015-08-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)Thoughts on the future of Willson Contreras?
(cowboy2024 from Chicago)
I have about 20 Wilson Contreras questions. He's interesting; should be able to stay behind the plate, strong throwing arm, average hit and power tools. IF you're expecting a star you're going to be disappointed, but he could be an everyday backstop, certainly. (Christopher Crawford)
2015-07-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)Has Willson Contreras as a catching prospect shown enough to consider either flipping Schwarber or giving up on him as a catcher, and try to get him to the bigs ASAP as an OF'er?
(Elisa from ChiTown Chic)
No, I think Contreras is probably just a backup. (Christopher Crawford)


BP Roundtables

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Advanced Catching Metrics

Year lvl CSAA Framing Runs Blocking Chances EPAA Blocking Runs SB Attempts SRAA TRAA Throwing Runs FRAA Adj. FRAA
2012 asx .000 0.0 1747 .000 -0.1 41 -.046 .011 1.1 1.3 2.4
2013 afx .000 0.0 3398 .000 -0.5 107 .015 .013 -0.9 -1.8 1.9
2014 afa .000 0.0 3240 .003 -2.6 58 -.008 .001 0.3 -2.9 -2.0
2015 aax -.007 -6.1 3332 -.001 1.3 83 .016 .000 -0.8 -4.9 -7.3
2016 aaa -.010 -5.4 0 .000 0.0 32 -.003 .000 0.1 -5.1 -4.5
2016 mlb .013 5.0 1921 -.003 1.4 32 -.039 .001 0.8 7.6 4.3
2017 mlb -.003 -2.8 4196 .000 0.6 76 .022 .009 -1.1 -1.1 0.4
2018 mlb -.014 -17.8 5597 -.001 1.9 69 -.009 -.004 0.4 -15.0 -15.4
2019 mlb -.010 -9.4 4305 .000 0.0 49 .009 -.001 -0.3 -9.7 -7.7
2019 aaa .004 0.1 20 .000 0.0 0 .000 -.001 0.0 0.1 0.2

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC

 

PITCHf/x Hitter Profile

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC