Maybe the most disheartening second-half struggle by any Cubs player in 2018 was Willson Contreras. He had just been voted into the All-Star Game, but his offense then declined big time starting in July. That was after he spent part of 2017 actually carrying the offense, as the Cubs were chasing down the Brewers. So, Contreras had big expectations for 2018, and at the end fell well short of them.
This is what everyone wants to see. Attacking the baseball and being aggressive even when he’s behind in the count. During Monday’s split-squad game, Contreras crushed a 1-2 pitch for a long home run to left field in Mesa against the Padres.
A little 3-run HR by @WContreras40 😱 pic.twitter.com/A24DEtS1oN
— Cubs Insider (@realcubsinsider) February 25, 2019
The sound @WContreras40's bat makes on this HR >>> pic.twitter.com/PzfKFoD4nm
— Cubs Talk (@NBCSCubs) February 26, 2019
🔥 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel to hear Chicago legends tell stories you’ve never seen in headlines — real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.
More of that please!
In 2017, Contreras slashed .276/.356/.499, with 21 home runs in 117 games. That came after he posted an .845 OPS as a rookie. In 2018, Contreras had a .729 OPS, slugging only .390.
The numbers show that through June of 2018, Contreras was an elite offensive threat for a catcher and then whether it was physical or mental fatigue, or bad hitting advice or all of the above he was bad in the final couple months.
Yes, it’s only spring training, but these are the positive signs you want to see.
That's a nice sign. Willson Contreras puts a charge into one and launches a three-run shot to deep left. His hard contact was just so infrequent last summer, so if he can bring this into the regular season, it really helps the Cubs offense take it up a notch.
— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) February 25, 2019
