Wilson Contreras doesn’t do much quietly.
It didn’t take long for the Boston Red Sox to figure this out. During spring training, his teammates nicknamed him Bowser, after the fire-breathing dragon from the Mario Kart series. In the first home series of the season at Fenway Park, he got into a fight with the Brewers, and his younger brother William, the Milwaukee catcher, had to walk him down the first base line after he was hit by a pitch.
Soon after, the Red Sox wore Bowser’s practice jerseys with Contreras’ No. 40.
“If you play against me and you don’t like me, I’m fine with that, but at some point, if we play together, you’ll love me,” Contreras said in early January, a prophetic statement from the veteran player during his first media session since being traded from St. Louis to Boston. This winter, Contreras had to waive his no-trade clause in order for the deal to be completed, noting his desire to play in Boston. “I play to win, not to mess around,” he said. “I don’t play to make friends on other teams.”
Contreras lived by those words, and then in clashes with the Brewers, then the New York Yankees, and most recently with the Washington Nationals, a brawl over bench clearing that broke out when Washington starter Cade Cavalli yelled at Contreras, “Sit down, boy!” after knocking him out.
The Red Sox are a young team still searching for their identity and still reeling from a rocky start to the year that fired manager Alex Cora and six coaches in April. Contreras, proud and passionate, filled the void.
Wilson Contreras landed in Boston after waiving his no-trade clause this winter. (Nam Yu. Ha/Associated Press)
“He sets the tone for us,” third baseman Caleb Durbin said. “And the confidence and swagger that he brings to the game every single day, we all feed off of that.”
But Contreras is more than just the fiery leader of a club struggling for stability. In the midst of a tumultuous year for the Red Sox, he is having the best season of his career at age 34.
His .285 batting average and .921 OPS are both career bests. He has already hit 20 home runs, matching his season total last year. There is no doubt that he will surpass his career record of 24 years.
Contreras learned Tuesday that he will replace Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the American League All-Star Game roster. The next day, Contreras announced that he would compete in the Home Run Derby. (He fouled off a ball that night, but later told reporters in Chicago that he was largely unconcerned, according to MLB player Ian Brown.)
Contreras stabilized Boston’s defense at first base, a position he moved to just last year. His intense style of play combined with a powerful bat allowed him to resuscitate the Red Sox season on life support.
“The way he plays the game, his presence in the lineup, what he can do with the bat, the power,” interim manager Chad Tracy said. “You want it on defense. He leads by example, because of how hard he plays the game, he means a lot to us.”
Contreras was suspended for seven games for his role in the brawl between the Nationals and Red Sox, although he has appealed the disciplinary action. While he awaits a decision, he continues to raise information and money for earthquake victims in his native Venezuela.
It was a busy first half for the veteran, but Contreras has even higher hopes for the second half.
“I think this year has obviously been one of my most productive years,” he said. “But nothing has changed, my mentality is just different.”
On May 27, Contreras played his 1,130th career game. It completed exactly 10 years of service.
After the game, Tracy, who himself was a longtime minor leaguer and had never made it to the major leagues as a player, realized the significance of the occasion and held a ceremony in the clubhouse. The lights dimmed and a montage of clips from Contreras’ career played on the television screens. Sonny Gray, a longtime teammate from his days in St. Louis, spoke and presented Contreras with a bottle of wine.
“I’ve only been here four months,” Contreras said in a video posted by the team, “but it feels like I’ve been here forever.”
@redsox Congratulations on 10 years of major league service, Wilson! 🥹 #mlb #redsox #willsoncontreras #service #emotional ♬ original sound – Boston Red Sox
Of all his accomplishments, Contreras, who spent most of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher, considers his 10-plus years in the league his greatest.
“(The ceremony) surprised me because I’m new here,” Contreras said. “I was expecting someone to say something, but not what they did, and that was special. It was really emotional when you know where you come from and when people tell you that you won’t live to see it, then you live to be 10 years old. It was really nice.”
But health and longevity in the game, especially for a player who spent most of his career catching the ball and playing with as much intensity as he did, was not a guarantee.
Five years ago, Contreras realized he needed to make some changes to his daily routine. He realized that he was getting tired more quickly and decided to work on improving his sleep patterns. He aimed to get eight to 10 hours of sleep, a habit he continues to this day. (When chief baseball officer Craig Breslow called Contreras in the middle of the afternoon to inform him of his All-Star status, Contreras was asleep.)
Contreras also began changing his training to focus less on lifting weights and more on agility, strength and explosion, as well as rotational movements. Recovery after games has become a necessity. He used hot and cold contrast baths and Normatec compression boots to improve circulation, reduce swelling and help his legs recover faster.
“I have a pretty good idea of ​​what I need to do to stay healthy, and there are days when you feel sore or heavy, and on those days you try to minimize the running, but I think that’s why I have a really good recovery program,” he said.
“He sets the tone for us,” third baseman Caleb Durbin said of Wilson Contreras. “And the confidence and swagger that he brings to the game every single day, we all feed off of that.” (Charles Krupa/Associated Press)
Contreras’ tough play on the field mimics his intensity behind the scenes, something his younger teammates have noticed.
“He has an amazing background,” said Villere Abreu, who played with Contreras for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. “He’s always ready to play and his passion is amazing.”
On the field, Contreras changed his approach at the plate, leaning into contact and putting the ball in play rather than going for power. Oddly enough, this led to the best power numbers of his career.
Although he had already repeated his performance from last season, he did not enter the season with the intention of doing so. Rather, the new approach produced better results.
“I hate throwing punches,” Contreras said. “I don’t like to hit, although I still do, so it’s much better for me to change my mindset, instead of looking for results, looking for contact. When I think like that, I’m a good at-bat.”
Contreras’ strikeout rate of 24.9 percent is his lowest since 2023. He hits the ball 14 percent of the time, a career-best, and his 76.9 mph bat speed ranks among the best in the majors.
The contact-oriented approach has paid dividends.
“I tried it this year because every starter we face is 97 to 100 (mph) and you’re going to have a hard time being consistent,” he said. “I’m a guy that always tries to be consistent; it’s always six months into the season, but I think the harder they throw, the lower I have to be. I just have to touch the barrel and the ball goes away. That’s the only thing I’ve changed this year.”
Contreras can’t control the second half. But he has control over whether he stays in Boston for it. He waived his no-trade clause to go to Boston this offseason, and Breslow would still need his approval for any deal before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
With a five-year, $87.5 million contract that runs through 2027 with a team option through 2028, and his impressive season on and off the field, contending teams are sure to be turning to him.
For a surging Red Sox franchise that had finally found its footing more than halfway through the season, trading Contreras would be a huge blow. The Red Sox are trying their best to avoid this scenario.
“We are not where we want to be,” Contreras said last week. “But of course we’re in pretty good shape. That’s what we wanted to feel this season and it’s finally come to us. We’re hungry.”