The Chicago Cubs weren’t that good of a baseball team in 2022 but there were times when their offense was fun to watch. They had certain players that looked good enough to help them win some games by mashing. That did happen from time to time.
However, the Cubs only have one nomination for the 2022 Silver Slugger Award which goes to the best hitter at each position in each league. For National League catchers, Willson Contreras has been nominated for the Cubs.
He is nominated alongside Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers, J.T. Realmuto of the Philadelphia Phillies, and Travis d’Arnaud of the Atlanta Braves. To be honest, all of them deserve the chance to win the award as they are all brilliant.
In 2022, Contreras was a National League All-Star. He hit 22 home runs and had 55 RBIs with 65 runs scored. His slash line of .243/.349/.466 for an OPS of .815 was excellent.
It was a down year for catchers across the league offensively but Contreras certainly did his job while playing on an underperforming team.
The Chicago Cubs saw Willson Contreras have a brilliant year in 2022.
This also all came while playing for a team that felt like they were going to trade him. The rumors were strong all season long. He even went on a little farewell tour during the last stretch before the trade deadline but was never traded.
The Cubs did him dirty by not keeping him as aware as they should have but he ended up sticking with the only team he’s ever known anyway. Now, he enters the offseason as a free agent. The Cubs are going to extend him a qualifying offer but it is unclear if he would take it at this point.
If he doesn’t, there are sure to be a few teams that go after him in free agency. A lot of teams can use a catcher like this that has Silver Slugger potential to pair with some decent defensive skills including a rocket of an arm.
It is unclear if he will be the one who wins the award but seeing him nominated is awesome for Cubs fans. We don’t know for sure if he’d be back but trying to keep your only Silver Slugger feels smart if you are trying to be competitive in 2023.