In the midst of their unexpected 2-8 start to the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox are in desperate need of a spark. Willson Contreras could provide it, but not in a way many people would've expected.
For three games beginning on April 6, the Milwaukee Brewers are in town to face the Sox. The team is a longtime rival of National League Central staple Contreras, who began his career with the Chicago Cubs in 2016 and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals when he hit free agency.
Their rivalry showed in the series-opening game when Brandon Woodruff grazed Contreras' hand with a pitch high and inside. It's the sixth time Woodruff has hit Contreras with a pitch and the 24th time the longtime catcher has been plunked by a Brewers pitcher.
After the game, an 8-5 Red Sox loss, Contreras didn't mince words when reporters asked about his feelings towards Milwaukee.
“They always say, ‘I’m not trying to hit you.’ That gets old. So next time they hit me again, I’m going to take one of them out. That’s a message,” Contreras said.
Red Sox's Willson Contreras might retaliate against Brewers after they hit him with a pitch for the 24th time in his career
Willson Contreras on the tension between him & the #Brewers:
— NESN (@NESN) April 7, 2026
"It's not just a hit by pitch. That's the 24th time [the Brewers have] hit me in my career. That's the 6th time [Woodruff] hit me... it's not coincidence... they're gonna hit me again, and we'll see what happens." 😳… pic.twitter.com/lf9bbLw3ue
Contreras seemingly already tried to take former Boston infielder David Hamilton out of the April 6 game when he slid into his leg. Hamilton was shaken up and his pants were slashed, but he stayed in for the duration of the game.
Jacob Misiorowski will be on the mound for Milwaukee in the second game, and much like Hamilton, he has little stake in the Brewers' history with Contreras because of his age and status as a sophomore in MLB. Misiorowski might not go out of his way to hit Contreras after last night's shenanigans, but if he does, it'll hurt — the young righty is a fireballer with staggering 99th percentile fastball velocity, consistently reaching 100 miles per hour.
But Contreras is a gutsy player who would wear one for his team, if it'd get them going. The Red Sox need something to wake them up, and anger is a catalyst for Contreras. He told reporters after Woodruff hit him for the sixth time in his career that he feels he plays better angry, and given his performance after the hit, that could very well be true (subscription required).
Contreras logged three hits, including a double and a home run, a walk and two RBI against the Brewers last night, his best offensive showing of the season so far. He also made an excellent grab at first base.
With a potential for fireworks in tonight's game, baseball fans all over the place will have an eye on Brewers-Red Sox at Fenway Park. A brawl could be just the thing Boston needs to break out of its early season funk and win some games.