Willson Contreras Named NL Starting Catcher in All-Star Game

In an announcement even less surprising than Rob Manfred naming Albert Pujols to the All-Star roster, MLB announced Friday evening that Willson Contreras is the starting catcher for the National League. This is his third trip to the ASG after also making the team in 2018 and ’19, and he’s been the starter each time. The only other catcher in Cubs history with three or more All-Star appearances is Gabby Hartnett, and he retired in 1941.

I tend to believe it would behoove a team to keep a player who is clearly the best catcher in the league and one of the best in franchise history, but I guess I’m just built different.

Your NL starting catcher. 🤩

Congratulations to Willson Contreras on being selected to his third All-Star team! pic.twitter.com/xKpgII0ACq

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 8, 2022

Contreras is having the best offensive season of his career with a 151 wRC+ and a mark of 2.9 fWAR that already exceeds anything he’s previously put up in a full year. You can almost taste the sweet, sweet trade value. Provided he’s healthy, of course.

“I would love nothing more than to play for the Chicago Cubs the rest of my life and obviously those kind of things are out of my control but I’m really excited and proud,” Contreras told the media in LA after being made aware of the honor. “I don’t see myself going anywhere else but this is business.”