William Contreras was named Willie Mays World Series MVP after the Brewers beat the Rays 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday night, Oct. 28. Yahoo Sports reported the win gave Milwaukee a 4-1 series victory and the first championship in franchise history.
SB Nation's Kris Willis wrote that Contreras was honored for an all-around effort at the plate and behind it. He hit .381/.435/.429 in the series and drove in four runs. ESPN added two details. Contreras is the eighth catcher to win World Series MVP, and he won 10 of 13 ABS appeals. MLB.com's headline framed the award around his "prowess behind the plate." Only ESPN's summary gives the challenge numbers.
Sportsnet's video report had the most personal moment. While accepting the trophy, Contreras brought Aaron Ashby to the podium and offered to share the award with him. Sportsnet said he also talked about how his experience behind the plate helped him through the series. The summaries don't say why he singled out Ashby. Ashby pitched in 75 games this season, throwing 89.1 innings with a 13-3 record, a 3.12 ERA and 116 strikeouts.
Contreras's regular season was solid but not a headline one: 147 games, 153 hits, 18 homers, 94 RBI, a .270 average and a .758 OPS. His .381 average in the Series was well above that. The award rested on that production and on his defensive work.
The Brewers finished 103-59 and won the NL Central. The Rays went 98-64 and won the AL East. The last three games in Tampa went Milwaukee's way, with one exception. The Brewers won 10-1 on Monday, lost 4-3 on Tuesday and then closed it out 4-1 on Wednesday.
| G | H | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 147 | 153 | 18 | 94 | .270 | .758 |
The reporting we have doesn't mention any further games. Our schedule still lists TB at MIL for Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, but those entries conflict with a series reported as finished, so we aren't treating them as upcoming. We have no information yet on a parade or celebration.
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