Three reasons why Brewers' William Contreras is the best catcher in baseball

First, there was shock. Then, there was delight. 

The shock emanated from Atlanta, after Braves general manager Alex Anthopolous traded away his young All-Star catcher for a top-five backstop. The delight came from Milwaukee, as Brewers fans realized their front office had just pulled off a heist.

In December 2022, William Contreras was part of a three-team trade that sent him from the reigning world champion Atlanta Braves, the only organization he had ever known, to the Brewers, where he has since become a beloved and essential piece of their roster. The Braves couldn't pass up the opportunity to grab Sean Murphy from the Athletics, and the Brewers only gave up outfielder Esteury Ruiz in the swap.

No one would've faulted Contreras if he needed a few months, perhaps even a full season, with an unfamiliar team to adjust to his new role as the full-time catcher for Milwaukee. But Contreras embraced his opportunity, revamped his defense and immediately slugged from the top of the order as the trade, already favorable on paper for the Brewers, quickly became a jackpot.

With all due respect to Adley Rutschman, Will Smith, Salvador Pérez, Yainer Díaz and Willson Contreras, William Contreras has ascended to become the best catcher in baseball. Here are three reasons why.

1. He's a pure, top-tier hitter

A catcher who can really hit? Say no more. Contreras has the best fWAR among all major-league catchers since the start of the 2023 season. And since 2022, the first season Contreras played at least 60 games in the majors, he ranks first in average (.292), on-base percentage (.370), slugging (.485) and OPS (.855) among 23 qualifying big-league catchers. Everything's coming up Contreras, even his advanced metrics. Since 2022, he