2024 Milwaukee Brewers Positional Preview: Catcher

It's no secret that William Contreras is one of the cornerstones of the franchise at this point. The big question is whether he can go to still another level, after a sensational first campaign in Milwaukee--and how the team can best support and complement him, regardless of his production.

The Starter: William Contreras
2023 Stats: .289/.367/.457, 38 2B, 17 HR, 3.8 WAR, 125 OPS+
Projections: .279/.357/.422, 28 2B, 20 HR (Baseball-Reference)
Contreras came to the Brewers as a bat-first backstop. By the end of the year, he was not just a Silver Slugger catcher, but solid behind the plate and 11th place in MVP voting, with the Brewers facing a choice of whether to extend him or trade him. Contreras is still young (2024 will be his age-26 season), and he still comes cheap (2024 is his final pre-arbitration year).

Between his improved defense and the bat that remained solid, Contreras was ranked as the third-best catcher in MLB for 2023, according to Just Baseball. In addition, he had 33 games at designated hitter, which gave the Crew the benefit of his bat while allowing him some relief from duties behind the plate.

One sign of his improvement behind the plate is the fact he allowed only two passed balls in 108 starts, after surrendering 10 in 104 starts between 2021 and 2022, while only 33 wild pitches took place, compared to 47 in those two years with the Braves. He also had 5 Defensive Runs Saved in 2023, compared to -11 in 2021-2022.

Other Options
The Brewers finally made things official with Gary Sánchez, who seems likely to break camp with the MLB squad following a 2023 marked by being released by the Giants and waived by the Mets, then posting a .792 OPS (for a 116 OPS+) with the Padres before a broken wrist ended his season.

"Sánchez does have some limitations, he can't do everything yet," manager Pat Murphy said Monday. However, the team still believes their new backup backstop will be ready by Opening Day.

Sánchez has hit more than 30 home runs twice in his career, and he's also provided solid defense--which you can expect to get even better, given the Crew's track record with Contreras and Omar Narváez, among others.

Sánchez’s signing makes the situation for previous signee Eric Haase a bit murkier. Haase, 31, is out of minor-league options, which is why the team is tentatively planning to carry all three of their established catchers. Top prospect Jeferson Quero will begin the year at Triple-A Nashville, but could easily force his way to the majors in 2024. Quero, Milwaukee’s best prospect not named Jackson Chourio, has always been known for excellent defense, but his bat has been very good, as well. He posted a .779 OPS in Biloxi in 2023, even with a ball that gave pitchers an edge for part of the year.

While he’s listed as a first baseman on the roster, Wes Clarke has started 62 games behind the plate in 2022 and 2023, demonstrating competent defense while providing a potent bat, and Brewers fans shouldn’t be surprised if he sees time behind the plate again, especially if Quero is promoted, or injury hits the Sounds.

The Big Questions
Two major questions surround catcher for the Brewers--one with short-term implications, the other more about a long-term outlook.

The first big question is whether Sánchez’s hand has healed, after he hurt it during winter workouts before signing. When healthy, Sánchez has been a very potent three-true-outcome bat, hitting as many as 34 home runs a season while drawing a lot of walks. If his recovery is complete, he can take a lot of at-bats at designated hitter, in addition to being the team’s backup catcher. If not, he’ll likely remain as a backup, and Christian Yelich could see a lot of DH time (especially given the outfield talent the Brewers have, even with Sal Frelick moving to the infield some of the time).

The second question is the long-term one: When will Quero force his way to Milwaukee? It is highly doubtful the Crew will give him a regular spot on the shuttle to Nashville – any ticket to Milwaukee is likely to be one-way, so that will become a balancing act.

How do you feel about where the Brewers stand at catcher? Do you think Quero will force his way to Milwaukee sooner rather than later? What excites you most about Contreras's prospects in his second season with the Crew? Join the discussion.

Reporter credit: @Matthew Trueblood