RADIO
Willson Contreras 2023 MLB Player Outlook: Safe Pick At ADP Following Career Year
2 years agoSpeculation was wide-ranging on where Willson Contreras would land this offseason as a free agent, and at the end of the day, the St. Louis Cardinals scooped him up on a five-year, $87.5 million deal. He should fit in well in his new digs on the heels of a career year at the plate in 2022. Contreras hit 22 home runs alongside a .224 ISO, .364 wOBA, and 132 wRC+ last season while ranking in the 90th percentile with a career-best 48.6% hard-hit rate, according to Baseball Savant. The 30-year-old's counting stats took a hit on a poor Chicago Cubs offense but projects for improvement on a Cardinals offense that tied for fifth in runs scored a season ago. Steamer pegs Contreras for 21 HRs, 75 runs, 66 RBI, and five stolen bases across 124 games played in 2023. Such production makes the former Cub one of the league's safest options at the catcher position, ranking sixth in our positional rankings and 107th overall, numbers right in line with his 96 ADP. Snatching the Venezuela native at or a few spots ahead of his current ADP is the prudent move in solidifying the catching position.
