MILWAUKEE – William Contreras is already having a historic run through this postseason. The Tampa Bay Rays certainly didn’t need to play into his hands in Game 1 of the World Series.
Yet over the course of just a few innings, Contreras, the Milwaukee Brewers’ dynamic catcher, showed just how much he can control a single baseball game – on both sides of the ball.
It is not often that one man smokes his team’s hardest-hit ball of the night for a run-scoring hit that stood up as the winning run, then snuffs out two of the opposition’s scoring chances by cutting down baserunners foolhardy enough to run on him.
Contreras, though, is truly built different.
The three-time All-Star finally has a stage befitting his massive skills and nickname to match – Wild Bill – for the baseball world to appreciate. And Friday, Oct. 23, as Milwaukee was ready to burst over its first World Series appearance in 44 years, Contreras gave them what they asked for as he commanded the Brewers’ 3-2 victory before 43,250 giddy onlookers at American Family Field.
Milwaukee takes a 1-0 lead into Saturday’s Game 2, thanks to a victory in a game that was taut yet also featured several unforced errors by the Rays.
Then again, Contreras forced the issue on numerous occasions.
This game turned on the game’s third batter, when Rays center fielder Jonny DeLuca fell just shy of making a terrific diving catch on Christian Yelich’s fly ball that landed for an RBI triple.
Just one man was out. Yelich was on third. And so the Rays infield, per the laws of baseball, was condemned to play in on the grass with Contreras at the plate.
No wonder this game is considered so cruel.
Contreras ranks in the 89 th percentile in squaring up balls. His top exit velocities the past four seasons have ranged between 114 and 118 mph. He drove in 94 runs this season.
Little wonder, then, that he drilled a Nick Martinez fastball 108.4 mph, just to the right of Rays shortstop Taylor Walls. The ball ticked off his glove, and not even the most sadistic official scorer might consider giving Walls an error.
Yelich trotted home on the play for a 2-0 lead, the Rays halving that with a run in the fourth. And Milwaukee would not score again until a Jackson Chourio RBI single in the seventh.
No matter. Contreras was preventing runs as easily as he drove one in.
With starter Jacob Misiorowski starting to wobble in the fifth and Victor Mesa Jr. on second, Misiorowski emptied his tank against slugging leadoff man Yandy Díaz – three fastballs of at least 101.7 mph. With Díaz in an 0-2 hole, Mesa broke for third.
Foolish. Contreras threw him out easily, ending the threat and forcing Díaz to lead off the next inning, the bases empty.
Next inning, similar scenario.
After reliever Abner Uribe retired Díaz, Jonathan Aranda reached for the third time in Game 1, on a single.
This was the exact spot the Rays likely eyeballed in the run-up to this World Series: Early enough in the game to avoid Milwaukee’s deadliest relievers, and with slugging third baseman Junior Caminero on deck.
Speedy No. 3 hitter Chandler Simpson worked a full count. The man only struck out 7.8% of the time this season. Rays manager Kevin Cash decided to send Aranda on the full-count pitch.
And Uribe threw one of the nastiest sliders Simpson’s likely ever seen. The back-foot offering to the left-handed hitter elicited a meek half-swing on a ball way low and in.
Simpson was rung up.
Despite the suboptimal pitch to throw on, and the uncertainty of the play, Contreras gunned an absolute strike to second. Aranda was easily out.
Caminero was stranded helplessly on deck. Uribe was beyond amped.
And the Brewers were nine outs from victory.
STRIKE ‘EM OUT, THROW ‘EM OUT 😤
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) October 24, 2026
Abner Uribe and William Contreras combine for a magnificent double play to end the 6th! pic.twitter.com/5qjdsNSvN8
It was the latest tour de force from Contreras, who keyed the Brewers’ sweep of the Dodgers by delivering three game-tying or go-ahead hits in a Game 2 victory. Now, there are no other teams standing.
This is Contreras’ stage. And so far, he’s commanding it.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: William Contreras owned World Series opener. And Rays fell into his trap