Either the Tampa Bay Rays or Milwaukee Brewers are about to make World Series history this October, because neither club has ever won it all. With Tampa Bay sitting in the American League East, Boston fans have plenty of reason to lean toward Milwaukee in this matchup.
That Brewers pull also comes with a Red Sox angle. Boston’s home run leader, Willson Contreras, has a younger brother on the other side in Milwaukee: William Contreras, the Brewers’ primary catcher since 2023.
William’s been a regular in October for years now. He debuted with the Atlanta Braves in 2020, won the 2021 World Series with them, and the Brewers have reached the playoffs every season since 2023.
At World Series media day, Boston reporter Rob Bradford asked William what his older brother has taught him about baseball that has helped him get here. His answer drew a grin, because it sounded nothing like the brother Red Sox fans have come to know.
"He always talks to me about [staying] calm, don't try to do too much and everything gonna happen," William Contreras said.
That’s the funny part for Boston. The words “calm” and “Contreras” don’t exactly feel like a natural fit.
Red Sox fans got a front-row look at Willson’s edge during his first season in Boston, when he set off multiple bases-clearing confrontations, often after taking a pitch, and turned every big swing into a full-body celebration. He’s the kind of player who screams toward his teammates in the dugout and takes his time circling the bases after a homer.
William doesn’t carry quite the same edge, and he even stepped between his brother and teammates during one Brewers-Red Sox scuffle. But he’s hardly low-key himself.
His home run celebrations and trots can be every bit as loud, and maybe even louder, than Willson’s. With three homers in eight games, he’s been Milwaukee’s home run leader, which means another giant lap around the bases could be coming in this World Series.
For all the fire both brothers bring, the mutual support stands out too. It’s not common to share the majors with a brother, and the two clearly push each other in a way that matters. Just don’t ask Sox or Brewers fans to describe either one as calm.
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