William Contreras was named World Series MVP after leading the Milwaukee Brewers to their first franchise championship with a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. The 28-year-old catcher hit .381 during the series and became the eighth catcher to win the award. Manager Pat Murphy said he told Contreras before the game, “You will be the MVP of the World Series.”
Contreras dominates with bat and robot umpires
Contreras recorded eight hits in 21 at-bats with four RBIs over five games. In the clinching Game 5, he hit a run-scoring double in the sixth inning. He also maintained a strong postseason presence before the World Series, recording three homers and nine RBI to go along with a 1.036 OPS in 13 games. He hit .444 with two solo homers in the Division Series against San Diego, including a seventh-inning tiebreaker in the opener and a homer in Game 3. In the Championship Series sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers, he batted .357 with one homer and three RBIs.
Defensively, Contreras neutralized a Rays team that led the American League in stolen bases during the regular season. He threw out four runners attempting to steal during the series, including two in Game 1 and one in each of the first three games. He also excelled with the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system, winning 10 of 13 appeals in the World Series. He led Major League Baseball in the regular season with 185 challenges and 105 overturns. Contreras attributed this to “the experience of playing every day throughout the season.”
THE WAIT IS OVER. YOUR BREWERS ARE ON TOP OF THE BASEBALL WORLD#WinOurWay pic.twitter.com/0bG3UWe80f
Did you know? William Contreras is one of the players to win both the World Baseball Classic and the World Series in the same calendar year, joining 2017 Houston Astros players Alex Bregman and Luke Gregerson, and teammates Jackson Chourio and Antonio Senzatela.
Brewers MVP edges out Cooper Pratt
While Contreras took the trophy, the Brewers had several candidates with high-impact stats. Cooper Pratt put together a streak of six consecutive at-bats with a hit.
2026 will certainly be a year to remember for William Contreras 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/K6VEU6cfNb
| Player | Key World Series Stat | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| William Contreras | .381 AVG | MVP, 4 RBIs, 10 ABS overturns |
| Cooper Pratt | .421 AVG | 6 consecutive hits |
Other key contributors included Jackson Chourio, who had 11 hits in 24 at-bats, and ace Jacob Misiorowski, who went 2-0 while allowing one run in 10⅔ innings. Reliever Aaron Ashby added 5⅔ scoreless innings, nine strikeouts, and a save.
Contreras brothers share championship moment
Willson, who won a World Series with the 2016 Chicago Cubs, flew in from Hawaii to support William for Game 5, wearing a Brewers jersey.
Team Venezuela 🤝 Milwaukee BrewersJackson Chourio, William Contreras and Antonio Senzatela started the year as champs and finished the year as champs! pic.twitter.com/IAZBllcAdJ
William described his brother as his role model and best friend. The two brothers, along with their older brother Willmer, celebrated together on the field. Both William and Willson were members of the Venezuelan team that won the World Baseball Classic in March, beating the United States 3-2 in Miami.
Pro Tip: To understand the impact of the ABS system, look at Contreras’ performance; he won 10 of 13 challenges during the World Series.
Venezuela’s historic double victory
William Contreras became emotional when discussing the significance of the win for his home country. He noted that William Contreras, along with teammates Jackson Chourio and Antonio Senzatela, joined Alex Bregman and Luke Gregerson as players to win both the WBC and the World Series in the same year. He celebrated the win draped in the Venezuelan flag.
Manager Pat Murphy described Contreras as the team’s “pit bull,” noting that while the catcher is disappointed his numbers aren’t better, his impact on the championship run was undeniable. Murphy added that Contreras is “disappointed that he isn’t Gold Glove.”
Common questions about the Brewers’ title
Who are the other catchers to win World Series MVP?
Contreras joins Gene Tenace (1972), Johnny Bench (1976), Steve Yeager (1981), Darrell Porter (1982), Rick Dempsey (1983), Pat Borders (1992), and Salvador Perez (2015).
How did William Contreras perform in the 2026 regular season?
He hit .270 with 18 home runs and a career-high 94 RBIs, helping the Brewers secure their fourth straight NL Central title.
What is the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system?
It is a system that allows players to challenge ball-strike calls; Contreras won 10 of 13 challenges during the World Series.
Contreras’ career now includes a reserve role on the 2021 Atlanta Braves championship team, a fifth-place finish in 2024 MVP voting, and his first World Series MVP award. He joined the Brewers via a three-way deal and has earned three All-Star selections, two of which came while playing for Milwaukee.
"You ought to be awfully proud … you're the first-ever Milwaukee Brewers team to be World Champions"#WinOurWay pic.twitter.com/W5kq0YQ3qK
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Brewers star William Contreras wins the World Series MVP
WILLIAM CONTRERAS IS YOUR 2026 WORLD SERIES MVP!!!! pic.twitter.com/G7IwLuj2wj
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