History of Willson Contreras in Timeline

Willson Contreras is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher who currently plays for the St. Louis Cardinals. He previously played for the Chicago Cubs. He plays in Major League Baseball (MLB).

May 13, 1992: Willson Contreras is born

Willson Eduardo Contreras was born on this day in Venezuela.

2009: Contreras Signs with the Cubs

Willson Contreras signed with the Chicago Cubs as an international free agent. He made his professional debut with the Dominican Summer League Cubs that year at the age of 17.

2010: Continues in Dominican Summer League

Willson Contreras continued to play for the Dominican Summer League Cubs, improving his batting average to .313 at age 18.

2011: Moves to Boise Hawks

Willson Contreras played for the Boise Hawks, marking another step in his development within the Cubs organization.

2012: Remains with Boise Hawks

Willson Contreras spent a second season with the Boise Hawks.

2013: Promoted to Kane County Cougars

Willson Contreras played for the Kane County Cougars, demonstrating his progress through the Cubs' minor league system.

2014: Joins Daytona Cubs

Willson Contreras reached the Daytona Cubs, moving closer to the major leagues.

2015: Statcast Begins Tracking Home Run Distances

Statcast, a state-of-the-art tracking technology, started recording data on home run distances.

2015: Plays for Tennessee Smokies and Earns Minor League Player of the Year

Willson Contreras played for the Tennessee Smokies and was named the Cubs Minor League Player of the Year, showcasing his potential. Following the season, he was added to the Cubs' 40-man roster, indicating his proximity to a major league call-up.

June 17, 2016: Major League Promotion

Willson Contreras was promoted to the Chicago Cubs' major league team. On June 19, in his first MLB at-bat, he hit a home run on the first pitch, becoming the 30th player in MLB history to do so.

2016: Clutch Performance in NLDS and World Series Victory

Willson Contreras had a key pinch-hit single in Game 4 of the National League Division Series (NLDS) against the San Francisco Giants, helping the Cubs advance to the National League Championship Series (NLCS). He then contributed to the Cubs' World Series victory, driving in a run in Game 7 against the Cleveland Indians.

2016: MLB Debut and World Series Champion

Willson Contreras made his MLB debut for the Chicago Cubs and was a key part of the team that won the 2016 World Series, ending the Cubs' 108-year championship drought.

2016: Top Prospect Ranking

Willson Contreras was ranked 57th on Baseball Prospectus' top 101 prospect list, highlighting his rising status as a promising young player.

April 2, 2017: Opening Day Starter

Willson Contreras was the starting catcher for the Cubs on Opening Day.

September 15, 2017: Ejection and Suspension

Willson Contreras was ejected from a game and suspended for one game after throwing his mask, which hit umpire Jordan Baker.

October 18, 2017: Longest Postseason Home Run

Willson Contreras hit the longest postseason home run (491 feet) since Statcast began tracking such data in 2015. This occurred during Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.

2018: First All-Star Game Selection

Willson Contreras was selected to his first MLB All-Star game as a starting catcher.

2018: Starts in All-Star Game

Willson Contreras was voted in as a starter for the 2018 All-Star Game, marking his first All-Star appearance.

2019: Strong Start and All-Star Selection

Willson Contreras had an impressive start to the 2019 season, demonstrating his offensive prowess. He was named a starter for the National League in the 2019 All-Star game.

2019: Second All-Star Game Selection

Willson Contreras was selected to his second MLB All-Star game as a starting catcher.

2020: Plays in Shortened Season

Willson Contreras played in 57 games during the shortened 60-game MLB season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021: Part of Combined No-Hitter

Willson Contreras was the catcher for the Cubs' first combined no-hitter in franchise history, achieved against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

May 16, 2022: 100th Career Home Run and All-Star Game with Brother

Willson Contreras hit his 100th career home run, a grand slam against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was selected for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game along with his brother, William Contreras, marking a historic moment as they became the fifth pair of brothers to play in the same All-Star Game in MLB history.

2022: Third All-Star Game Selection and Free Agency

Willson Contreras was selected to his third MLB All-Star game. He signed with the St. Louis Cardinals as a free agent after the 2022 season, ending his tenure with the Cubs.