The Milwaukee catcher hit .381 in the series and threw out three would-be base stealers as the Brewers beat the Rays 4-1 in Game 5.
William Contreras capped his first championship postseason by taking home World Series MVP honors after the Milwaukee Brewers closed out the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5, delivering the franchise's first title.
The 28-year-old catcher went 1 for 4 with an RBI double in the clincher and finished the series 8 for 21, good for a .381 average with four RBIs. His work behind the plate mattered just as much. Contreras guided a pitching staff that limited Tampa Bay to 12 runs across the five games and threw out three runners attempting to steal, two at second base and one at third, the first catcher to pull that off in a World Series since Phillies catcher Darren Daulton in 1993.
Contreras was Milwaukee's steadiest hitter all October, closing the postseason with a .373/.448/.588 slash line, three homers and nine RBIs. His path to this moment started far from the majors, in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, where he played ball with his brothers using balls made of wadded paper and tape before signing with the Atlanta Braves at 17 and moving from the infield to behind the plate.