Chicago Cubs News: tipping our cap to Willson Contreras

Chicago Cubs News: tipping our cap to Willson Contreras

While Contreras first caught the attention of most Cubs fans on a June Sunday night at Wrigley in 2016 with his first major league swing, he had been in the organization much prior to that. Willy signed an amateur contract with the Cubs in July 2009 at the age of 17. He spent almost seven years working his way through the organization before he was called up that Father's Day weekend. From that point forward, he served as a third catcher off the bench behind Miguel Montero and David Ross.

As the 2016 regular season closed and the postseason came around, Contreras quickly found himself as an instrumental part of the lineup. He had playing time in every one of the Cubs' 17 postseason games that year. He had clutch at-bats and defensive plays in each of the three playoff series - which ended with the Cubs' first World Championship captured since 1908. After almost a decade of putting in the work to reach the majors, obtaining a championship and a ring within your first five months is not a bad start to a career. Without even a full year of big league experience, Contreras already found himself cemented in the Cubs' history books.

With Ross retiring after the 2016 season, pitcher Jon Lester in need of a new "personal catcher" and the Cubs were in need of a top guy behind the dish. Contreras was someone Rossy really took under his wing as a mentor, preparing him to ultimately take the reins and become the man for the job. Willy took it with ease, and from 2017 on he caught the majority of Cubs games.