Willson Contreras is going through it.
This past off-season, the Cardinals signed the All-Star catcher away from the rival Chicago Cubs. And so far, his stay in St. Louis has been nothing short of a disaster.
After another hitless game against the Giants on Monday, Contreras opened up to MLB.com’s John Denton about his struggles.
“This is my first time since I’ve been in the big leagues that I have struggled this bad,” said Contreras. “I think I’ve lost my confidence and I lost my trust, and lost the trust that I came into the season with. It just went away.”
#STLCards catcher Willson Contreras on his struggles: “This is my first time since I’ve been in the big leagues that I have struggled this bad. I've lost my confidence & I lost my trust & lost the trust I came into the season with. It just went away.”https://t.co/bs8Twj5iIW
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) June 13, 2023
Getting those thoughts off of his chest wasn’t exactly a weight lifted off his shoulders. Contreras fared 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in Tuesday night’s 11-3 loss to San Francisco. His batting average has now dipped below the Mendoza line to .198.
Over his past 19 games, Contreras is now 5-for-62 with only two home runs and three RBIs. Those two home runs are the only extra-base hits he’s managed over the course of this extended slump.
It’s not just Contreras who is struggling. The Cardinals have dropped four straight and have now lost 10 of their last 14 games. St. Louis holds the worst record in the National League and Major League Baseball’s third-worst record, only behind the A’s and Royals.
“I’m looking for answers, for sure, but we’re playing [poorly] and that’s really the only answer right now,” Contreras said.
It’s admirable that Contreras was honest about his struggles, but Cardinals fans likely won’t take much solace in the fact that he has no answers. This is a fanbase that is growing increasingly frustrated with the team’s performance or lack thereof.
The pitching continues to be the team’s biggest issue, but that doesn’t mean Contreras’ struggles can be ignored. The team’s No. 5 hitter admitted that he’s currently without his confidence. How long the Cardinals can wait for it to return remains to be seen. As often indicated, you are what the back of your baseball card says and Contreras’ batting average is 39 points lower than his worst MLB season.
One thing’s for certain, everything that can go wrong has gone wrong for this team.
[MLB.com; photo from Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports]
