Contreras: All-Star start would be 'beautiful'

This story was excerpted from Adam McCalvy's Brewers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers haven’t had an All-Star Game starter since Christian Yelich in 2019, and haven’t had more than one since ’14. That’s the year they had a trio in catcher Jonathan Lucroy, third baseman Aramis Ramirez and outfielder Carlos Gomez.

It looks like this could be another year in which multiple Brewers start a Midsummer Classic.

William Contreras received the most votes of all National League catchers during the first phase of All-Star Game balloting, and Yelich was second among NL outfielders, pushing both players into the second phase of balloting to determine who gets to start in Arlington on July 16. The top vote-getting catcher among the two finalists and the three top outfielders from a field of six candidates will earn the title of starter.

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“I would love to start. No rest for me,” said Contreras, who was in the lineup for the 2022 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium, representing the Braves -- but as the designated hitter.

It would be an entirely different matter to get to catch, especially considering the work Contreras has done to transform himself into one of baseball’s most complete all-around catchers. That wasn’t necessarily the case when he came to Milwaukee in the December 2022 trade that also netted reliever Joel Payamps. The Brewers thought Contreras had the tools to be an elite pitch-framer and defender, and Contreras proved them right.

He would be the second Brewers catcher to be elected an All-Star starter, after Ted Simmons in 1983. When Lucroy got to start, he was an injury replacement.

As of Thursday, when Contreras and the Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto were revealed as the two finalists moving on to Phase 2 at the catcher position in the NL, Contreras owned a .292/.352/.442 slash line and the second-highest fWAR (2.4) among NL catchers, just behind the Dodgers’ Will Smith (2.5).

Contreras led at the position with 2,314,000 votes in Phase 1, followed by Realmuto’s 1,837,442 and Smith’s 1,409,523. The voting totals don’t carry over into the next phase, which begins Sunday at 11 a.m. CT and runs until Wednesday at 11 a.m. CT. Fans may vote once per day on MLB platforms.

Adding a layer of intrigue to the vote, Realmuto is sidelined following June 12 surgery on his right knee. An MLB spokesperson confirmed that should Realmuto win this round of balloting, Contreras would not automatically be named the starter. Instead, it would be determined by the result of the player ballot.

So, the best way for Brewers fans to ensure that Contreras gets to start is to cast their votes. He would happily sacrifice a couple of days off to represent the Brewers and his family.

“It’s my second time, my second All-Star Game, so I know the process,” Contreras said. “I know the first two days, there is a lot of stuff to do over there. The first two days are crazy ...

“But then I would have two or three days. I’ll take it. It’s beautiful. When you see your name next to those other names in the game, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Yelich had All-Star Game experiences in 2018 and ‘19. This year, he’s a finalist for one of the three starting spots in the outfield with the Padres’ Jurickson Profar and Fernando Tatis Jr., the Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández and the Phillies’ Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos.

If he wins a spot, Yelich would become the third Brewers player with multiple fan elections in the NL, joining Ryan Braun (four) and Prince Fielder (two).

The AL All-Star Team, which will be managed by Bruce Bochy of the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers, and the NL All-Star Team, led by Torey Lovullo of the defending NL champion Arizona Diamondbacks, will have nine elected starters via the fan balloting program. The pitchers and reserves for both squads -- 23 for each side -- will be determined through a combination of “Player Ballot” choices and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office.

The balance of the All-Star rosters will be announced during the All-Star Selection Show on July 7 at 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.