MLB
William Contreras Named 2026 World Series MVP
Contreras won the award after hitting .381 and contributing behind the plate as Milwaukee secured its first World Series championship.
William Contreras was named the 2026 World Series MVP after the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4–1 in Game 5 on Wednesday to secure the franchise’s first championship.
The catcher hit .381 with eight hits and four RBIs in the five-game series. His contribution extended behind the plate, where his throwing and successful ball-strike challenges added defensive value to Milwaukee’s offense.
The Associated Press award report records four runners caught stealing and 10 successful appeals in 13 attempts using the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system. This was the first World Series played with that system.
Contreras became the eighth catcher to receive the award. His selection followed a regular season in which he batted .270 with 18 home runs and a career-best 94 RBIs as Milwaukee won another National League Central title.
Other Brewers supplied strong cases. Jackson Chourio collected 11 hits in 24 at-bats, while rookie Cooper Pratt finished with seven RBIs and set a rookie record with hits in six consecutive World Series at-bats.
Those alternatives help explain why the final award required more than identifying the most visible offensive moment. Contreras combined sustained hitting with recorded defensive outs and challenges that changed individual pitch decisions.
The ABS totals measure successful challenges, rather than framing judgments inferred from video. A reversal changes the ball-strike count; it does not automatically count as a run saved. Keeping those categories distinct makes his defensive contribution clearer.
Milwaukee won 103 regular-season games and went 11–2 in the postseason under manager Pat Murphy. The championship ended a wait stretching back to the franchise’s creation as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 and its move to Milwaukee the following year.
The award closes the earlier contender discussion on this page. Contreras is the official winner, with Milwaukee’s title secured and the World Series complete.
