The St. Louis Cardinals’ offensive has been impressive so far in the 2025 campaign. The team’s combined hitting average of.297 is the highest in the big leagues. In the batter’s box, however, one of the favorites to have a career year has yet to improve.
So far this season, Willson Contreras has only managed 4 hits in 43 at-bats, good for an average of.093. In fact, Contreras has missed 47.2% of breaking balls that he has offered at, and Cardinals color analyst Brad Thompson has stated on broadcasts that he is having trouble recognizing pitches that are breaking away from him.
Because of his more toned body going into the season and the fact that he would no longer have to concentrate on the demands of catching, Contreras was a popular choice for many Redbird Rants writers after the Cardinals moved him from behind the plate to the less demanding position of first base this season.
How will the Cardinals handle Contreras if these problems continue?
After Contreras failed to meet expectations behind the plate in 2023, the Cardinals shown their willingness to take radical measures by putting him back in his regular position behind the plate a week later and making him a full-time designated hitter just one month into the season. It might not be impossible to see the Cardinals take some kind of action again, whether it’s just moving Contreras lower in the lineup or giving him more rest days, as their past actions indicate that they’re not afraid to move him around.
Due to the presence of Luken Baker and Alec Burleson on the major league roster, first base in St. Louis is crowded. Burleson and Baker would get more reps at the cold corner and designated hitter in place of Contreras if the Cardinals were serious about their “retool.” However, the contract is in place. Contreras will want to make the most of the $87.5 million contract that the Cardinals granted him, which has two years left on it after this season and a club option for 2028. No matter how well he performs, Contreras will still be used at first base.
It’s too early in the season to assume that these issues will continue, even if Contreras getting more playing time isn’t the ideal course of action for a team that purports to want to see its younger core step up. Because there is so much of the season left, struggling players’ problems will be exacerbated because there is nothing to look back on that would allay fans’ fears that the player will have a poor season. In contrast, if the player had produced well earlier, fans would be more likely to recognize that the player is simply experiencing a dry spell. Masyn Winn, who similarly had a slow start to the season before going 9-for-17, is also exhibiting this tendency for Cardinals fans.
In a season where winning was viewed as secondary to player development, Contreras should soon find his stroke, and if he doesn’t, the Cardinals have plenty of other choices.
