Pitchers and catchers for the Milwaukee Brewers are less than two weeks away from reporting for their first workout in the Cactus League, which will usher in the start of spring training.
Over several days, I have taken the time to preview the pitching staff and talk about what expectations for each of the Brewers’ arms will look like in 2026. Now, it is time to go behind the backstop.
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Milwaukee has William Contreras and Jeferson Quero listed on its depth chart at the catcher position, and it is worth understanding what both can bring to the table for the Brewers next season.
William Contreras, C: A native of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, Contreras began his Major League Baseball career with the Atlanta Braves. He is also the younger brother of Boston Red Sox first baseman, Willson Contreras.
After spending the first three seasons of his MLB career with the Braves, the organization chose to deal Contreras to the Brewers in December 2022 as part of a three-team trade that featured the Athletics (formerly known as the Oakland Athletics).
During his first season with the Brewers, Contreras was effective with a bat in his hands, hitting .289 with 17 home runs in 141 games. However, he struggled defensively, allowing 77 stole bases in 108 games behind the plate.
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In 2024, Contreras remained consistent in the batter’s box and elevated his batting average to .289 while bringing his home run count to 23. But, once again, he struggled to throw runners out who were attempting to steal. In 120 games playing catcher, Contreras allowed 72 stolen bases.
Last season saw defensive improvement for Contreras. He started 128 games at catcher and allowed 60 stolen bases while successfully throwing out a career-high 22 runners.
Heading into his seventh season, Contreras will have to adjust to a couple of new faces on the mound now that Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers are gone while simultaneously continuing to improve his defensive metrics.
Jeferson Quero, C: Another native of Venezuela, Quero joined the Brewers’ organization on a minor-league contract on July 2, 2019. He has since worked his way through Milwaukee’s minor-league system and was ranked as the club’s No. 5 prospect on its top 30 list in 2025.
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Quero is only 23 years old and has yet to make his MLB debut, but that could change sooner than later given his strong defensive tools and above-average ability at the plate.
Like so many players for the Brewers, the expectation is that Quero will remain healthy and continue to develop after a torn labrum caused him to miss all but one game of the 2024 season.
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