Earlier today I was talking about the Gurriel brothers, and how Yuli's waning numbers could pave the way for Lourdes to become top dog. The Contreras brothers do not have that problem. Both of them were all-stars for the NL this year, both are among the best hitting catchers in the majors, and both are coming upon similarly big weeks- Willson is waiting to see which contender will be trading for him, be it Houston, Minnesota, Tampa or the Mets, while William is waiting to see if his Braves are going to lap the Mets to take the NL East.
William's conundrum is simpler. The Mets are in the midst of an evenly-matched battle with the Yankees that they have the edge on because they're starting two of their best pitchers and the Yankees are not. The Braves have already dropped two games to the Phillies, and will have to play them again after a series with the Diamondbacks, which they should be able to make quick work of. The problem is that the narrative of the Braves creeping up on the Mets from the end of last week seems to have dissipated, and the Braves, while in good enough reach, are being blocked from really making a move on the division. It hasn't helped that Adam Duvall's injury has given left field to people like Marcell Ozuna and Eddie Rosario, and that they keep having to give out lineup spots for people like Mike Ford and Robinson Cano.
The good news is that William Contreras has been one of the better aspects of this team, and is hitting better than he has in either of his first two seasons. While he's not exactly rivaling Travis D'Arnaud for the catching spot, he's helping the Braves' flexibility, and playing games at DH when he's not catching, and allowing d'Arnaud to do the same. Plus, Contreras's .870 OPS is the second highest on the team, behind Austin Riley. Once D'Arnaud eventually leaves, Contreras will be a suitable replacement and a great piece to build on. Even if this division run doesn't lead to anything this season, the possibilities are endless for future seasons.
As for his brother Willson in Chicago...I assume there exists a very strong possibility that he finishes the season with the Cubs, but I think the fact is that he wants to compete again. The Cubs will be fine, they'll either keep Yan Gomes and start him or just start P.J. Higgins, who feels like the next in the long line of old breakout Cubs after Wisdom, Schwindel and Ortega. Between Contreras, David Robertson, Mychal Givens and Ian Happ, the Cubs certainly feel like they're willing to deal again, and I think they'll find a suitable home for Contreras. I just really, really hope it's not the Astros, even if I'm guessing they'll get a catcher in return, be it Korey Lee or one of the veterans who aren't hitting.
I'm glad the brothers have had a productive season, and I'm glad there exists a possibility of the brothers competing against each other in the postseason. Hopefully this will be the first of many seasons where both Willson and William Contreras are both major factors in the game.
Coming Tomorrow- A pitcher traded to Cleveland for a Guardians legend, and who's already becoming just as beloved by the fans.
Steve Stone (White Sox color analyst) said recently that Cleveland could be in the running for Willson as well. It was sad to see him take his ovations back on Tuesday.
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