William Contreras

Contreras fully stepped out of his older brother's shadow in 2023, and in fact led all catcher-eligible players in earned fantasy value. Traded from Atlanta to Milwaukee last winter, he logged 611 plate appearances in his first season with the Brewers -- a number padded by 29 starts at designated hitter, in addition to his 108 behind the dish. He hit .314 after the All-Star break to finish at .289 for the season, though Statcast puts his expected batting average at only .253. Contreras grounded into a whopping 23 double plays and still surpassed 160 runs-plus-RBI, and he will be in the middle of everything the Brewers do once again in 2024. While he may not see quite as many starts as the DH, his playing time is secure on account of his hitting and excellent blocking and framing metrics. There's already a lot to like and a jump in power is not out of the question.

Known primarily as "Willson's little brother" prior to last season, the younger Contreras is now making a name for himself. The two brothers met in the 2022 All-Star Game, both as starters, becoming the fifth set of siblings to play together in the Midsummer Classic. William was selected via player vote after he hit .260/.345/.533 with 11 homers in the first half. In the end, he reached an even 20 long balls despite making just 376 plate appearances for Atlanta. The batted-ball metrics were impressive, especially for a 24-year-old, though we should expect his BABIP to find a happy medium between his 2021 and 2022 marks (.265, .344). His perceived fantasy value will see a spike following a December trade to Milwaukee, as he not only gets a ballpark upgrade but should also see as much playing time as he can handle.

Contreras has a clearer path to being the catcher of the future in Atlanta after Shea Langeliers was traded to Oakland in the Matt Olson deal, but the team is set at the position right now with Travis d'Arnaud and Manny Pina. His bat hasn't looked particularly special through his first 56 MLB games, as he's hit a modest .225/.308/.405, so he'll need to show a spark to fulfill his early prospect buzz.

Contreras made it to the big-league level as a catcher before his 23rd birthday, despite having just 60 games above A-ball under his belt in his professional career. Contreras hit well in the lower levels of the minors, but did not show much statistically in Double-A after his midseason promotion during the 2019 season. His 2020 was obviously mostly spent in the workout camp until he was needed on the big-league roster after a cascade of injuries at the catcher spot in Atlanta during the season. It is unlikely Contreras makes the club out of camp as he really needs some more work in the minor leagues. The simple fact that he's Willson Contreras' brother will keep him around on some dynasty rosters, and that's not completely crazy as the younger Contreras is a legitimate major-league prospect in his own right, but we'd advise moving on if you have not already.

Contreras did not put up eye-popping numbers in 2019 and his stock has taken a hit as a result, but it was not a bad season for a 21-year-old catching prospect, especially one playing in two of the six most pitcher-friendly leagues in the minors (Florida State League and Southern League). He got more pull-happy and his batting average took a turn for the worse, but Contreras continued to put the ball in play at a fine clip. After his move up to Double-A Mississippi in June, Contreras lowered his strikeout rate to just 19.1%. He finished strong with a .290/.323/.420 line in August, though he did sacrifice some of that contact down the stretch to get there. Between his two stops, Contreras had a 19.4% soft contact rate. Contreras is the brother of Cubs backstop Willson Contreras, and while William should not be expected to emerge as a top-five fantasy catcher like his brother, he is worth monitoring.

The little brother of Cubs backstop Willson Contreras, William looks the part of a top-10 catching prospect for fantasy purposes. He spent most of the 2018 season with the Braves' Low-A Rome affiliate, hitting .293 with 11 homers, a .368 wOBA and 136 wRC+ as a 20-year-old. Contreras' numbers took a tumble after his early-August promotion to High-A Florida (.253 AVG, .296 wOBA, 83 wRC+), but it was a relatively small sample (90 PA) and he probably deserved better considering he was roping line drives (26.9 LD%) and putting the ball in play at a respectable clip (17.8 K%). It's clear that Contreras is a highly advanced hitter for his age and position. Even so, it will be a while before we see Contreras in the majors. He's not a lock to even reach Double-A this season. Patience is required in dynasty leagues, but the payoff could be significant as so far he's posted numbers which only heighten excitement over the bloodlines.

The younger brother of Willson Contreras is also a catcher, and has a chance to be a pretty good one. He finished seventh in the Appalachian League with a 0.8 BB/K, thanks largely to an impressive 15.2 percent strikeout rate. Contreras continues to gradually tap into more power each season, upping his ISO to .142 last year with a career-high four home runs in 198 plate appearances. He is going to be a hit-over-power prospect for the next few seasons, but as his 6-foot, 180-pound frame continues to fill out, his power could develop in a similar manner as his older brother. For reference, Willson didn't hit double-digit home runs (11) in a season until he was 21 and at Low-A. William will likely head to Low-A for his age-20 season this year, where he should once again hit for a high average and provide quality defense. There are so few catchers in pro ball who project to be good hitters and quality defenders, and the Contreras brothers make up roughly 15 percent of that list.