Brewers All-Star Slugger, WAR Leader Called 'Right Choice' For Team MVP

Milwaukee has a legitimate chance to win it all this season

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The Milwaukee Brewers are having a wonderful season and are closing in on becoming the first Major League team to clinch a 2024 playoff berth.

Milwaukee’s successful season was threatened to deflate when former National League MVP Christian Yelich was devastatingly ruled out for the rest of the season with a back injury, but the Brewers have soldiered on and look like a team of destiny right now.

Milwaukee’s roster is full of players who have stepped up and led the charge, but who would be considered the Brewers’ MVP at this point? It’s an interesting question to consider with less than 40 games remaining.

On Saturday, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report examined each Major League team’s WAR leader and evaluated whether each player should be rightfully called their team’s MVP for the 2024 season.

In looking at Milwaukee, Reuter determined that the Brewers’ WAR leader, catcher William Contreras (WAR of 3.8), does indeed deserve team MVP honors.

“An All-Star in 2022 with the Atlanta Braves and the NL Silver Slugger winner at catcher last year in his first season with the Brewers, William Contreras has been a standout once again in the middle of the Milwaukee lineup,” Reuter said.

“The 26-year-old is hitting .285/.358/.469 for a 127 OPS+ with 33 doubles, 17 home runs and 72 RBI, and he has also done a nice job anchoring a patchwork pitching staff that has had to navigate losing Corbin Burnes and being without Brandon Woodruff and Devin Williams due to injury.”

“There was a solid case to be made for Christian Yelich before he suffered a season-ending injury, and shortstop Willy Adames has been his usual productive self at one of the most important positions on the field, but Contreras is the right choice.”

The Brewers front office is certainly rejoicing on the daily for having acquired Contreras in December 2022 via trade. He has become a franchise centerpiece for a Milwaukee team that might very well be the last one standing in October.

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