Brewers' Catcher Joins Cardinals Legend as NL Backstops to Win MVP

Each of the last two times the Milwaukee Brewers were in the World Series, a catcher was ultimately named Most Valuable Player of the series for the winning side.

Understandably, the Brewers will enjoy this most recent time more so than the last time they were in the World Series in 1982 and lost in seven games to eventual MVP Darrell Porter and the St. Louis Cardinals in come-from-behind fashion.

After the Brewers rolled to a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night and won the first World Series title in franchise history, William Contreras was named Most Valuable Player of the series. Contreras, younger brother of former Cardinals’ catcher Willson Contreras, had a run-scoring double during Milwaukee's clinching victory in Game 5.

Leader of a Brewers team that whipped the Cardinals 11 times in 13 games this season, the 28-year-old Contreras hit .381 in the World Series. He also guided his pitching staff, threw out four attempted base stealers and won 10 of 13 appeals in the first Series with the automated ball-strike system.

Contreras joined Porter as the only two backstops to be named Most Valuable Player of the World Series since 1982. Contreras’ fellow Venezuelan countryman, Salvador Perez, was previously named MVP in 2015 while winning the World Series with the Kansas City Royals. Only eight catchers have ever been named MVP of the World Series.

Born in Joplin, Mo., Porter was drafted by the Brewers in the first round (No. 4 overall) of the 1970 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut on Sept. 2, 1971, with the Brewers at age 19.

He went on to play in three World Series—in 1980 with the Royals and in 1982 and ‘85 with the Cardinals. Porter won both the National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player award and the ‘82 World Series MVP awards. At the time, Porter was only the second player in baseball history to win both awards in a single postseason. Cardinals’ third baseman David Freese would repeat that feat in 2011.

Porter batted .286 with eight hits, a homer, five RBI and a run scored in seven games in the 1982 World Series. His RBI in Game 7 lifted the Cardinals to a 6-3 win over the Brewers in 1982.  

Contreras mirrored Porter’s blueprint to become just the second NL catcher to win the MVP award.  

"This team's not what it is without this guy," Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby said to reporters in the clubhouse celebration. "He wants to compete, he wants to die for anyone on this team. He's our bulldog and we love him."