Since William Contreras came over in a three-team trade back in December 2022, catcher has been a stable position for the oft-churning Milwaukee Brewers. His health and production are critical to the Brewers’ success in 2026, and reuniting him with an old friend as a backup should provide a very capable duo behind the plate.
BREWERS CATCHERS AT A GLANCE:
Starter: William Contreras
Backup: Gary Sánchez
Depth: Reese McGuire*
Prospects: Jeferson Quero, Marco Dinges
*On a minor-league deal; may opt out if not added to active roster by a certain date
Brewers fWAR Ranking Last Year: 6th out of 30
Brewers fWAR Projection This Year: 5th out of 30
THE GOOD
A two-time All-Star with two Silver Sluggers in his cabinet, Contreras appeared in 150 games for the Brewers last year, hitting .260/.355/.399 with 17 home runs. Those numbers were down from the past three seasons, as his OPS was the lowest he’s had with the Brewers. However, his production still wasn’t bad. Contreras was an above-average hitter, with an OPS+ of 111 (100 is average; higher is better). Much of the decreased production traces to a fractured left middle finger that he played through for much of the 2025 season. Defensively, Contreras was good in 2025. His throwing accuracy improved, and his framing and blocking were also above-average. Now, with the injury issues (hopefully) behind him, Contreras will look to get back to his previous level of offensive output.
A fellow two-time All-Star (although those honors came in 2017 and 2019), Gary Sánchez returns to the Brewers after a year away in Baltimore. Like Contreras, Sánchez dealt with injuries last year. He was sidelined with wrist inflammation early in the season, and had a severe knee sprain that forced him onto the 60-day IL in early July. Sánchez is well past his peak offensively. He was just below average when last he played for the Crew, with a 94 OPS+ via a slash line of .220/.307/.392 and 11 home runs in 280 plate appearances. Defensively, Sánchez grades out considerably worse than Contreras, but he’s playable there. He will provide most of his value with his bat in 2026 and will look to contribute on Contreras’s days off behind the plate—as well as in occasional spots in the designated hitter role.
Reese McGuire is the third veteran catcher in the organization, and could see a role in 2026. I wrote about him potentially contributing in the home run column before the Brewers signed Sánchez, and that still could be an option if one of the two names above goes down with an injury—and if McGuire remains in the organization. McGuire had a career year in 2025 with the rival Cubs, hitting nine home runs in 44 games. However, McGuire has never played more than 89 games in a season, so don’t expect him to hit that number this year unless disaster strikes. The 31-year-old is adequate catching depth, and that’s the role he could play in 2026 for the Brew Crew.
THE BAD
There aren’t a lot of downsides for this position group outside of injuries, but one thing to keep an eye on is opponents stealing bases. The Brewers have done a good job containing the running game (.49 stolen bases allowed per game in 2025, 2nd-fewest in MLB), and they will look to continue that in 2026. However, Contreras gave up a bit of sheer arm strength to be more accurate this season. If he continues to lose steam and an inexperienced pitching staff struggles to hold runners, they might lose that elite standing in steals prevention.
THE BOTTOM LINE
This position group has the highest-ranking fWAR projection of any department of the Brewers roster, for good reason. Contreras is a key cog in the Brewers’ winning machine. Keeping him on the field and healthy should be a priority. Looking ahead, he won’t be a free agent until after 2027, but developing a successor should be a priority.
Jeferson Quero and Marco Dinges are both top-10 prospects in the Brewers’ farm system, according to MLB.com. However, short-term success relies purely on Contreras, and the most likely outcome is that he is one of the best catchers in MLB this season. All other considerations are mere emergency fallback plans.
