William Contreras has quickly become one of baseball’s most exciting young catchers. In 2025 he celebrates strong seasons with both the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers.
Contreras helped the Braves win the World Series in 2021, earned two All-Star nods, and collected a Silver Slugger award. Now with Milwaukee, he continues to shine behind the plate and at the bat. Off the field, fans follow his story from Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, to big-league stardom.
In this article, we explore his personal background, early years in the minors, rise in the majors, relationship life, and his earnings-all in one place.
William Contreras’ Biography
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | William Jesus Contreras |
| Date of Birth | December 24, 1997 |
| Age | 27 |
| Nationality | Venezuelan |
| Birthplace | Puerto Cabello, Venezuela |
| Turned Pro | Signed as international free agent, July 2015 |
| Net Worth | Estimated around $8 million¹ |
| Career Earnings | $14,803,769 |
| 2025 Salary | $6,100,000 |
| Girlfriend | Nixzali Adames |
| N/A | |
| N/A |
Early Career
William Contreras grew up in Puerto Cabello, a coastal city in Venezuela where baseball is part of daily life. As a child, he played stickball and pickup games with neighborhood friends. His father, William Sr., encouraged both William and his older brother Willson to practice catching and hitting every afternoon. By his early teens, William stood out with a strong arm and quick hands.
Contreras signed with the Atlanta Braves as an international free agent. He began his professional journey in the Dominican Summer League, where he learned basic catching mechanics and Spanish-to-English baseball terms. The Braves staff praised his work ethic and adaptability, two traits that fueled rapid progress.
Contreras split time between the Gulf Coast League Braves and the Danville Braves. He refined his blocking skills and improved his framing-receiving praise from pitching coaches for his ability to call a solid game. The next year, he advanced to the Rome Braves in Class A, where he hit his first minor league home runs and proved his bat could handle faster pitching.
with the Florida Fire Frogs in Class A-Advanced, William showed off both power and patience at the plate. He posted a solid batting average and walked more often than strikeouts, a sign of discipline rare in young catchers. Defensively, he threw out nearly 40 percent of attempted base stealers, drawing attention from Braves’ top brass.
Contreras reached Double-A with the Mississippi Braves. There he battled seasoned opponents, learned to adjust mid-at-bat, and honed his leadership skills. Coaches noted he was often the first to arrive for workouts and stayed late helping pitchers refine new grips. Fans began to hear his name as a future major leaguer.
William was one of Atlanta’s top prospects. He received an invitation to big-league spring training in 2020, where he caught bullpen sessions and impressed veteran catchers. When rosters expanded in July, the Braves called him up. On July 24, 2020, he made his MLB debut, fulfilling a childhood dream and marking the start of a new chapter.
Professional Career
William Contreras arrived in Atlanta at a moment when the team was building a championship core. In limited action during 2020, he displayed a calm presence behind the plate and solid contact hitting. He closed the season batting over .300 in September, hinting at greater things to come.
The 2021 season proved transformational. Contreras split catching duties, working alongside veterans who mentored him on game-calling and pitcher relationships. As the Braves charged toward the playoffs, William’s bat caught fire at key moments. He delivered clutch hits in August and September, helping Atlanta secure a division title.
In the postseason, he played in the NL Championship Series and World Series, recording his first playoff RBI. When the Braves hoisted the World Series trophy, Contreras celebrated as part of a young core that included Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies.
Contreras earned his first All-Star selection. He combined a .278 batting average with over 20 home runs, showcasing both average and power. His framing and pitch framing metrics ranked among the league’s best, according to advanced analytics. Though the Braves fell short in the playoffs, William’s individual performance cemented his status as one of baseball’s top catching talents.
Atlanta traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers in a three-team deal. The move surprised some fans, but Contreras embraced his new home. In his first season with Milwaukee in 2023, he hit .289 with 17 home runs and 78 RBIs.
His temperature-rising bat and sturdy defense earned him the National League Silver Slugger Award-given to the league’s best offensive catcher. Teammates lauded his energy in the clubhouse and his ability to calm rookie pitchers in high-pressure situations.
Contreras reached new heights. He finished with a .281 average, 23 home runs and 92 RBIs. His on-base plus slugging (OPS) climbed to .831, placing him among the top 10 catchers in offensive value. He picked up his second All-Star nod and earned a spot on the All-MLB First Team.
Defensively, he led all catchers in caught-stealing rate, gunning down 34 percent of would-be base stealers. He also ranked in the top five among catchers in wins above replacement (WAR) with a 4.9 bWAR.
Girlfriend
William Contreras has been in a relationship with Nixzali Adames since 2023, after meeting through his former Brewers teammate Willy Adames.
Nixzali is Willy’s younger sister and drew Contreras’s attention while the two families spent time at the team facility. She graduated in 2021 with a degree in financial management and auditing, then earned her MBA in finance in August 2024.
The couple has made several public appearances together, including the 2024 MLB All-Star red carpet in Arlington and the All-MLB Awards in Las Vegas, where they turned heads with their coordinated outfits.
For William’s 27th birthday on December 24, Nixzali posted “Happy Birthday love of my life on social media, highlighting their close bond. They have no children and continue to support each other’s careers-William on the field and Nixzali in her finance pursuits-often attending games and team events side by side.
William Contreras’ Net Worth Details
William Contreras’ net worth is estimated to be $8 million as of 2025.
Contract
William Contreras and the Milwaukee Brewers agreed to a one-year contract worth $6 million, settling his first arbitration hearing and securing a substantial pay raise. The deal also features a club option for the 2026 season at $12 million, with a $100,000 buyout if Milwaukee declines to pick up the option.
This arrangement rewards Contreras’s rapid development into an elite young catcher while giving the Brewers flexibility to extend his tenure based on his on-field performance.
Salary
William Contreras and the Brewers agreed to a one-year, $6.1 million contract that guarantees him a $6 million base salary for the season and includes a club option for 2026 worth $12 million (with a $100,000 buyout). This deal allows Contreras to avoid arbitration and brings his career MLB earnings to approximately $11.3 million.
Career Earnings
| Year | Team | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Atlanta Braves | $563,500 |
| 2021 | Atlanta Braves | $570,500 |
| 2022 | Atlanta Braves | $710,000 |
| 2023 | Milwaukee Brewers | $739,000 |
| 2024 | Milwaukee Brewers | $766,900 |
| 2025 | Milwaukee Brewers | $6,100,000 |
| Total | $14,449,900 |
Endorsements
William Contreras’s endorsement portfolio is focused on the tools of his trade: he has an equipment deal with Rawlings for his catcher’s gear and a bat sponsorship with Marucci. He’s also appeared in regional promotional events for a Venezuelan sports drink and hosts youth baseball clinics through a local sporting goods partner.
MLB Career Stats
| Statistic | Career Total |
|---|---|
| Games Played | 467 |
| At-Bats (AB) | 1,706 |
| Hits (H) | 470 |
| Batting Average | .275 |
| Home Runs (HR) | 71 |
| Runs Batted In (RBI) | 250 |
| On-Base Percentage (OBP) | .357 |
| Slugging (SLG) | .462 |
| On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS) | .819 |
FAQs
1. What is William Contreras’s nationality and current MLB team?
Contreras is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher who currently plays for the Milwaukee Brewers, after beginning his MLB career with the Atlanta Braves.
2. When did Contreras make his MLB debut and with which team?
He made his major league debut on July 24, 2020, for the Atlanta Braves and contributed to their 2021 World Series championship season.
3. What are Contreras’s career statistics through the 2025 season?
Contreras played 599 MLB games, posted a career .273 batting average, hit 85 home runs, and drove in 315 runs, along with a .805 OPS and 23 stolen bases.
4. What individual awards and honors has Contreras earned?
Contreras is a two-time NL Silver Slugger winner, a two-time All-Star, and an All-MLB First Team selection, all achieved during his time with the Brewers.
5. How did Contreras’s role change after joining the Brewers?
He became Milwaukee’s starting catcher, led the team in hitting, and posted consecutive seasons with over 150 hits, 70+ RBIs, and double-digit home runs, raising his WAR each year.
6. What makes Contreras an effective MLB catcher offensively and defensively?
Contreras combines a strong arm and improving pitch framing with elite exit velocity, high barrel rates, and consistent power against left-handed pitchers, providing offensive depth at catcher.
7. Who is Contreras related to in Major League Baseball?
He is the younger brother of Willson Contreras, who is also a major league catcher and currently plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.
8. How do analysts and coaches view Contreras’s performance for the Brewers?
He is praised for durability, leadership, run production, and energy in the clubhouse, regarded as a mainstay driving Milwaukee’s playoff appearances and competitive success.
9. What are some notable milestones and best games for Contreras?
Contreras set Milwaukee’s single-season catcher records for hits and RBIs, was NL Player of the Week, and hit crucial playoff home runs in multiple series.
10. What future goals does Contreras pursue as his career continues?
Contreras aims to help the Brewers contend for a World Series, further improve his catching skills, and build on his offensive numbers while mentoring younger players.
