When the Pink Sox struck a take care of the Cardinals to accumulate first baseman/designated hitter Willson Contreras final Monday, they parted methods with a bundle of younger pitching within the hopes that Contreras would be the reply at a place that has offered principally query marks over the previous a number of years.
Triston Casas, who turns 26 subsequent month, had a robust rookie marketing campaign in 2023, posting an .856 OPS (129 OPS+) with 24 house runs as Boston’s first baseman. However since then, he’s been hampered by accidents which have restricted him to 92 video games over the previous two seasons.
Previous to Casas two years in the past, the final certified Boston first baseman to supply an above-average OPS+ (larger than 100) was Hanley Ramirez again in 2016 (126). Will Contreras be the reply as Casas works his manner again from a season-ending left patellar tendon rupture final Could?
Right here’s a breakdown of what Contreras brings to the desk in Boston and the way it may form the close to future for the Pink Sox at first base:
He’s been persistently good on the plate
Ever since he made his Main League debut with the Cubs in 2016, Contreras has been remarkably constant together with his efficiency on the plate.
In every season however one (2018), Contreras has been effectively above common offensively, with an OPS+ starting from 106 to 138. He’s additionally belted 172 house runs — most of these got here as a catcher, the place he performed earlier than an harm prompted the Cardinals to shift him to first base — however that will rank twelfth amongst first basemen since he debuted in 2016.
Contreras’ hard-hit charge (49%) and barrel charge (13.9%) have been every wonderful, and he is among the recreation’s elites in relation to bat pace — his 76 mph common bat pace ranked within the ninety fifth percentile amongst certified batters in 2025.
He’s going from a tricky park for hitters to top-of-the-line
Busch Stadium, Contreras’ house park for the previous three seasons, is ranked 18th out of the 28 Statcast-equipped ballparks (so not together with Sutter Well being Park in Sacramento and George M. Steinbrenner Subject in Tampa) in relation to Statcast’s park issue — a measure of how hitter-friendly a venue is.
The general park issue for Busch Stadium is 100, that means it’s a impartial place to hit. For context, the stadium with the very best park issue — 113 — is, predictably, Coors Subject in Denver. However the venue with the second-highest park issue? That will be Boston’s Fenway Park (104). Going from Busch to Fenway needs to be a boon for Contreras on the plate.
He’s pulling the ball within the air extra — hi there, Inexperienced Monster
With the Inexperienced Monster standing simply 310 toes away from house plate down the left-field line at Fenway Park, it’s a giant and welcoming goal for right-handed hitters. Contreras occurs to be a strong right-handed hitter who noticed a fairly large soar within the share of balls he hit within the air to the pull aspect final season.
In 2024, 15.1% of the balls Contreras put in play have been within the air to the pull aspect. In ’25, that determine was a career-high 19.8%.
Of the 20 house runs Contreras hit final season, 15 have been pulled. It makes for an aesthetically pleasing spray chart in the event you’re a Pink Sox fan when it’s overlaid atop Fenway Park.
Contreras is under no circumstances a one-dimensional participant. He made a remarkably easy transition from catcher to first base with the Cardinals. In 2025, he confirmed nice vary, ending with +6 outs above common (ninetieth percentile). His arm power additionally ranked extremely (76th percentile), at 88.2 mph.
He’s no stranger to the brilliant lights in a venerable ballpark
Whereas he spent the previous three seasons with the Cardinals, Contreras spent the primary seven seasons of his massive league profession with the Cubs. Taking part in for a membership that hadn’t gained a World Collection title in 108 years, he helped Chicago break the historic drought as a rookie in 2016.
His house park was Wrigley Subject, steeped in lore and custom. His house metropolis was Chicago, the place they take their sports activities fairly critically, to place it mildly. Going from mid-market St. Louis to big-market Boston and the oldest ballpark in MLB shouldn’t be a very troublesome transition for Contreras, which implies he may hit the bottom working.
Not unrelated to that, Contreras’ 30 postseason video games performed will increase his talents on the sphere with the expertise of being beneath the brilliant lights of October.
