Poll Can Willson Contreras Get Back On Trac

When the Cardinals announced over the offseason that they were moving to first base, it came as something of a surprise given that they we just two years into a five-year deal they gave him to fill the shoes had stood in for the past 19 years. Signing a bat-first catcher to replace one of the best defenders in baseball history behind the dish was a bold move, and while Contreras hit Joseph Jonah-Ajonye Jersey an excellent .263/.367/.468 (129 wRC+) in his first two seasons as a Cardinal, his tenure behind the plate did not come without controversy. St. Louis moved him off catcher briefly during his first season with the club after complaints about his glove. Last year, he mi sed time with a broken arm sustained when he was hit by a swing after the organization suggested he move closer to the plate to improve his defense. If those controversies set the table for the decision to move Contreras away from catching, the departure of incumbent first baseman for the Bronx this winter and the clubs two up-and-coming catchers and making solid cases for more playing time made the po sibility that much more realistic. After all, a position change for Contreras would allow the Cardinals to make some progre s on their desired youth movement without needing to pull off a trade, and there was at least a po sibility that Contrerass strong bat from his first two seasons with the club could blo som even further if he didnt need to split his focus between hitting and catching. Unfortunately, thats not how things have gone so far. In 24 games this season, Contreras has slashed just .200/.269/.305 this year. That leaves him with a 62 wRC+ thats not only well below average but also extremely uncharacteristic of him. While questions about Contrerass defensive abilities have dogged him since the early days of his MLB career with the Cubs, his bat has never been in doubt as hes posted above-average numbers at the plate by wRC+ in every single year of his career until now. A .258/.353/.461 (121 wRC+) hitter for his career, Contreras had elevated his game to another level since the start of the 2022 season with a .256/.367/.467 (133 wRC+) line acro s the past three seasons. Has all of that changed in his age-33 season? It certainly wouldnt be the first time that a catcher in his early-to-mid 30s suffered a sudden and drastic decline, although moving to first base should at least theoretically help preserve Contrerass health. The frustrating reality of the veterans situation is that, while below-average offense can be acceptable behind the plate, first base is a bat-first position where hell need offensive results in order to stick as a regular. Thats even more true with youngsters like and ready to step in and take their own shots at the first base job if given the opportunity. As lackluster as Contrerass work at the dish has been so far this year, its not as if all hope is lost. The veterans .270 BABIP this year matches his career low, and if it bounces back to something closer to his .309 career level, that would go a long way to lifting his production. Another reason for optimism is that hes still putting the barrel on the ball fairly often. While his 9.1% barrel rate and 40.9% hard-hit rate this year are the lowest figures hes posted in either category since 2018, they both remain solid. When combined with his top-of-the-line bat speed, its easy to imagine Contreras being able to generate more power than hes shown so far. On the other hand, Contreras is already more than 100 plate appearances into his first season as a first baseman, and hes currently matching his career-high in strikeout rate (28.6%) and pairing that with a career-low walk rate of 6.7%. Contreras has always been a bit of a streaky hitter, as exemplified by his 2018 season where he carried a 123 wRC+ into the All-Star break before hitting a paltry .193/.282/.280 acro s his final 50 games, so it stands to reason that he may well be just one hot streak away from getting back to being the bat hes shown himself to be throughout his career. Even with that in mind, the signs of declining plate discipline and reduced power are concerning. Thats especially true when combined with his age and the years of wear and tear he accumulated behind the plate. How do MLBTR readers think the rest of the 2025 season will go for Contreras? Will he be able to bounce back and post numbers similar to what hes offered in each of the last three seasons? Or will his first year as a first baseman be the worst offensive season of his career? Have your say in the poll below: How will Willson Contreras perform for the rest of the year? Contreras will rebound enough to be a roughly average hitter, but not post the impactful numbers he's offered in recent years. 41.34% (1,156votes) Contreras will bounce back and post a strong final line close to that of his previous seasons with the Cardinals. 34.37% (961votes) Contreras's down season will continue and he'll post the first below-average season of his career. 24.28% (679votes) Total Votes: 2,796 Sony Michel Jersey