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Willson contreras Credits David Ortiz’s Advice, Anticipates Leadership Role with Red Sox
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“he appeared a couple of times during my training and explained some angles, some things, and I asked him a lot of questions, and that helped me a lot,” Willson Contreras said during a recent media appearance.
contreras, who played the first nine years of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher, transitioned to first base in 2023 and demonstrated strong defensive performance, achieving six Outs Above Average, placing him in the 91st percentile according to Statcast. This means he recorded more outs than 91% of first basemen in MLB last season.
“He told me: ‘Stay on your feet. don’t be left with flat feet. Be ready and ask anything.’ But he won 14 Gold Gloves,” commented the Venezuelan player, referring to David Ortiz. “It was like, ‘Tell me whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it.’ His advice was really helpful. You have to listen. If you don’t listen to it, you’re playing the wrong sport.”
Will Provide Leadership
Contreras also highlighted the strong team chemistry he’s felt as joining the Red Sox spring training camp. He stated it felt like he’d been with the team for years,despite only being there for a few days.“That’s where it all begins. We won in the locker room, then we transferred that from the locker room to the field, and then we played together. We support each other, and it’s going to be fun.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora has predicted that contreras will provide vital leadership, especially given the number of Spanish-speaking players on the team, including four other Venezuelans. Cora also noted the team needed a right-handed hitter of Contreras’s caliber and expects him to quickly adjust to hitting the ball in the air, considering his anticipated position in the batting order (fourth).
“I think something important for me is just having good at-bats. It doesn’t matter where I hit in the lineup,” said Willson Contreras. “I think we have a very good team from first to ninth, who can support each other, and hitting fourth is good. I think it’s fun. And I’m looking forward to it.”
