Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras backs brother William for NLCS MVP
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The gist
Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras argued in now-deleted Instagram stories that his brother William deserved NLCS MVP.
William's Brewers reached the World Series while Willson's Boston season ended early.
Background
Willson Contreras is a Boston Red Sox first baseman, a four-time All-Star and 2016 World Series winner with the Chicago Cubs, acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in the offseason. His younger brother by about six years, William Contreras, is the Milwaukee Brewers' star catcher, a three-time All-Star whose team reached the 2026 World Series against Tampa Bay. Willson's own season ended in the Wild Card Series, and in October he used Instagram to argue William deserved the NLCS MVP award, alleging the league showed partiality based on location.
How it unfolded
- Aug 17, 2026Contreras hit a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Fenway Park.
- Aug 31, 2026He was placed on the injured list and missed 12 games after left hamstring discomfort worsened and he was hit by a 95.4 mph pitch from Dodgers pitcher Will Klein.
- Sep 17, 2026After returning, he was hit by another pitch and was sidelined again until the 27th.
- Sep 27, 2026He played Boston's final regular-season game as the designated hitter against the Cubs.
- 2026 postseasonHis season ended with a walk in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against Yankees closer David Bednar; he went 2-for-2, reached base in all four plate appearances and earlier homered off Max Fried at Yankee Stadium, breaking a streak of 26⅔ postseason innings in which the Red Sox had not scored against New York.
- Oct 15, 2026William Contreras walked in the fifth inning of NLCS Game 4 against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
- Oct 17, 2026Willson Contreras posted now-deleted Instagram stories arguing his brother should have been NLCS MVP and alleging partiality based on location against the league.
- Oct 21, 2026His contract was reported as guaranteed through 2027 with a club option for 2028.
- Oct 23, 2026At World Series media day, Boston-based reporter Rob Bradford asked William Contreras what his older brother taught him about baseball.
Who’s saying what
- Willson
- Contreras posted his brother's postseason numbers to argue William deserved the NLCS MVP and alleged partiality based on location against the league, in stories he later deleted.
- William
- William Contreras said his older brother "always talks to me about [staying] calm, don't try to do too much and everything gonna happen."
Still unverified
Willson Contreras' Instagram stories alleging location-based partiality against the league were deleted and are described only as allegations.