Biography

BIOGRAPHY

William Jesus Contreras was born December 24, 1997, in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. He is a catcher in the MLB.

Contreras signed with the Atlanta Braves as an international free agent on February 10, 2015. He made his professional debut with the DSL Braves in 2015, hitting .314/.370/.413/.783 with 32 RBIs. He played for the GCL Braves in 2016 and hit .264/.346/.375/.721 with 1 home run and 8 RBIs.

Contreras was added to the Braves 40 man roster following the 2019 season. He was invited to summer camp, held prior to opening day of the 2020 season. Contreras was activated on July 24, 2020, and made his major league debut that day as a backup catcher. His first career hit and run batted in came as a pinch-hitter the next day, while facing Hunter Strickland. In 2020 he was four-for-ten with a double and an RBI.

On May 5, 2021, Contreras hit his first career home run against Washington Nationals pitcher Erick Fedde. In 2021 he batted .215/.303/.399 with 8 home runs and 23 RBIs. The Braves finished with an 88-73 record, clinching the NL East, and eventually won the 2021 World Series, giving the Braves their first title since 1995.

Contreras was named to the 2022 Major League Baseball All-Star Game as an injury replacement for designated hitter Bryce Harper. William Contreras and his brother Willson are the fifteenth pair of brothers to be selected to an All-Star Game.