William Contreras

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #6 prospect in 2021
  Hitting: 50. Power: 50. Run: 40. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60.
  
  TRACK RECORD: The younger brother of Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, William impressed in the South Atlantic League as a 20-year-old in 2018 before advancing to Double-A Mississippi in 2019. His improved defensive focus allowed the Braves to feel comfortable calling him up for his major league debut in July after both Travis d’Arnaud and Tyler Flowers showed coronavirus symptoms.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Contreras is a solid athlete for a catcher, has a strong throwing arm and shows plus raw power at the plate. He previously struggled with consistency and focus as a defender, but he made massive strides in 2020 spring training and throughout the year. He worked hard to improve his defense with catching coordinator J.D. Closser to the point where some now believe he could become a plus defender. He moves well behind the plate and has improved as both a receiver and blocker. At the plate, Contreras has the raw power to homer to all fields, but most of his in-game power has gone to his pull side. He has a tendency to chase at times, but generally puts together quality at-bats with a good two-strike approach.
  
  THE FUTURE: Contreras may be ready for an expanded major league role in 2021. He has a chance to become an everyday catcher as long as his defensive improvements hold.
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #8 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: The younger brother of Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, William was one of the better catchers in the South Atlantic League a season ago before pushing to Double-A Mississippi in his age-21 season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Contreras has exciting tools on both sides of the ball, but is still maturing as a player. He wasn't as consistent as the team expected with high Class A Florida, but seemed to get energized and refocused after a promotion to Double-A. Contreras has plus raw power with the ability to use all fields with impact, and generally takes good at-bats as well, with a solid two-strike approach. He'll chase a bit at times which will be worth monitoring as he faces upper-level pitching, but he has all the skills to become an average hitter. Contreras stands out for his athleticism behind the dish. He has good hands and moves well for a catcher, with plus raw arm strength that plays a tick down from that thanks to a slightly long arm action. He needs to improve his game as a receiver, but at the moment it's a mental issue more than a physical one.
  
  THE FUTURE: Contreras is less polished than Langeliers and is no longer the top catcher in the system but likely has more offensive upside.
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #9 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Contreras is the younger brother of Cubs catcher Willson Contreras. While the older Contreras didn't make it to full-season ball until he was 21, William was one of the best catchers in the South Atlantic League as a 20-year-old. He shared the job at low Class A Rome with Drew Lugbauer, and the Braves ensured he didn't wear down by playing him at DH, too. He received a late-season bump to high Class A Florida.
  
  Scouting Report: Contreras has plus raw power that he already turns into productive power, and his hands work well enough that he can also drive the ball to right-center field. That gives him a chance to hit .270 or so. He has some young player hitting habits he must break.He tends to pull off the ball and step in the bucket, leaving him vulnerable to being pitched away, but those are correctable flaws and he shows solid strike-zone awareness. Defensively, he has good hands, moves well and shows more athleticism than most catchers. He has a plus arm but sometimes struggles with his transfer when he rushes.
  
  The Future: The Braves position player prospect depth is much thinner now than it was a couple of years, which makes Contreras' development even more important. Contreras is still multiple years away from being big league-ready, but he has all the tools to be the rare catcher who can handle the job defensively while producing offensively.
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #18 prospect in 2018
  The younger brother of Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, William was not a prominent prospect as an amateur, but he's shown a knack to hit that endears him to scouts. Even as a teenager, Contreras has shown strength in his swing, but he's a hitter first, serving up line drives to right field more than he yanks the ball. Eventually, he should hit for average power as well, because he already lofts the ball with some thump from time to time. Contreras is undersized, but like his brother he has more athleticism than the average catcher. He has the building blocks to be a solid-average receiver with an above-average arm and a quick transfer, though he has further work to do on his game calling. In a system suddenly filled with catchers at the lower levels, Contreras' hitting ability and athleticism help him stand out as the most likely of the Braves' many young catchers to develop into a future big league regular. Contreras is ready for low Class A Rome, where he'll catch a good staff that will challenge his ability to handle velocity.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #7 prospect in 2018
  The younger brother of Cubs catcher Willson Contreras has a chance to give the family a second everyday catcher in the big leagues. The younger Contreras reinforced his reputation as one of the better young catchers in the minors. He's a bat-first backstop, but he has a chance to be an average defender as well, with solid athleticism and strength to go with a plus arm. He needs to clean up his footwork and transfer, which is why he threw out just 30 percent of basestealers. What makes Contreras stand out is his bat. He coils into a big load, then explodes to generate plus raw power that plays in games. He hit 11 home runs for Rome but has bigger home run numbers in his future. Contreras gets to that power without selling out because he has a solid understanding of the strike zone and the contact skills to hit for average as well.
• 
  Ranked National League #10 prospect in 2017
  The younger brother of Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, William signed for $10,000 as an amateur out of Venezuela in 2015. He was one of the most improved players in the Braves system this summer. The first thing that stands out about Contreras is his baseball acumen. He's a smart hitter who works himself into good counts and is willing to take a walk. He controls the bat head and is able to make consistent contact with pitches all over the zone, leaving the possibility for a plus hit tool down the line. He should be able to maintain average extra-base ability. Defensively, Contreras has at least a plus arm that is sullied by a slower reaction time he can improve with repetitions. He's agile and receptive behind the plate, even showing a mature ability to frame pitches for his age.

• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 50. Power: 50. Run: 40. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60.
  Track Record: The younger brother of Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, William impressed in the South Atlantic League as a 20-year-old in 2018 before advancing to Double-A Mississippi in 2019. His improved defensive focus allowed the Braves to feel comfortable calling him up for his major league debut in July after both Travis d’Arnaud and Tyler Flowers showed coronavirus symptoms.
  
  Scouting Report: Contreras is a solid athlete for a catcher, has a strong throwing arm and shows plus raw power at the plate. He previously struggled with consistency and focus as a defender, but he made massive strides in 2020 spring training and throughout the year. He worked hard to improve his defense with catching coordinator J.D. Closser to the point where some now believe he could become a plus defender. He moves well behind the plate and has improved as both a receiver and blocker. At the plate, Contreras has the raw power to homer to all fields, but most of his in-game power has gone to his pull side. He has a tendency to chase at times, but generally puts together quality at-bats with a good two-strike approach.
  
  The Future: Contreras may be ready for an expanded major league role in 2021. He has a chance to become an everyday catcher as long as his defensive improvements hold.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 50. Power: 50. Run: 40. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60.
  
  TRACK RECORD: The younger brother of Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, William impressed in the South Atlantic League as a 20-year-old in 2018 before advancing to Double-A Mississippi in 2019. His improved defensive focus allowed the Braves to feel comfortable calling him up for his major league debut in July after both Travis d’Arnaud and Tyler Flowers showed coronavirus symptoms.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Contreras is a solid athlete for a catcher, has a strong throwing arm and shows plus raw power at the plate. He previously struggled with consistency and focus as a defender, but he made massive strides in 2020 spring training and throughout the year. He worked hard to improve his defense with catching coordinator J.D. Closser to the point where some now believe he could become a plus defender. He moves well behind the plate and has improved as both a receiver and blocker. At the plate, Contreras has the raw power to homer to all fields, but most of his in-game power has gone to his pull side. He has a tendency to chase at times, but generally puts together quality at-bats with a good two-strike approach.
  
  THE FUTURE: Contreras may be ready for an expanded major league role in 2021. He has a chance to become an everyday catcher as long as his defensive improvements hold.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The younger brother of Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, William was one of the better catchers in the South Atlantic League a season ago before pushing to Double-A Mississippi in his age-21 season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Contreras has exciting tools on both sides of the ball, but is still maturing as a player. He wasn’t as consistent as the team expected with high Class A Florida, but seemed to get energized and refocused after a promotion to Double-A. Contreras has plus raw power with the ability to use all fields with impact, and generally takes good at-bats as well, with a solid two-strike approach. He’ll chase a bit at times which will be worth monitoring as he faces upper-level pitching, but he has all the skills to become an average hitter. Contreras stands out for his athleticism behind the dish. He has good hands and moves well for a catcher, with plus raw arm strength that plays a tick down from that thanks to a slightly long arm action. He needs to improve his game as a receiver, but at the moment it’s a mental issue more than a physical one.
  
  THE FUTURE: Contreras is less polished than Langeliers and is no longer the top catcher in the system but likely has more offensive upside.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The younger brother of Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, William was one of the better catchers in the South Atlantic League a season ago before pushing to Double-A Mississippi in his age-21 season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Contreras has exciting tools on both sides of the ball, but is still maturing as a player. He wasn't as consistent as the team expected with high Class A Florida, but seemed to get energized and refocused after a promotion to Double-A. Contreras has plus raw power with the ability to use all fields with impact, and generally takes good at-bats as well, with a solid two-strike approach. He'll chase a bit at times which will be worth monitoring as he faces upper-level pitching, but he has all the skills to become an average hitter. Contreras stands out for his athleticism behind the dish. He has good hands and moves well for a catcher, with plus raw arm strength that plays a tick down from that thanks to a slightly long arm action. He needs to improve his game as a receiver, but at the moment it's a mental issue more than a physical one.
  
  THE FUTURE: Contreras is less polished than Langeliers and is no longer the top catcher in the system but likely has more offensive upside.