William Contreras' letter to Milwaukee should have Brewers fans fired up for the NLDS

In the days before social media, athletes and celebrities had a certain mystique to them. While they were still everyday people at the end of the day, fans very seldom had an inside lens into the life of the stars. For better or worse, that veil has been almost completely removed in the recent past.

Social media has let us fans behind the scenes. Instagram posts show us what they are up to when they aren't playing. Twitter/X gives us an insight into their thoughts, whether we want them or not. For even more access to the minds of big leaguers, as his playing career was wrapping up, Derek Jeter started The Players' Tribune, giving athletes another platform to write letters to their fans.

Christian Yelich once penned a letter for the publication in the midst of the 2018 playoff run, which recirculated this summer during Milwaukee's winning streak. In it, he focused on the culture, the fans of Milwaukee, and perhaps the Brewers' biggest fan, Bob Uecker. Now, with the NLDS looming, William Contreras has put his thoughts on what has already been an incredible season, and it should have Brewers fans fired up.

William Contreras: No One Better Than Us

First of all, I am going to link his piece here. Give it a read after you finish this up. Or go read it and come back; either works. It is an incredible look at this team. I won't take too many of his words, one because that is against just about all journalistic standards, and two, because I can't do them justice. It's just that good.

In it, Contreras recounts his reaction to being traded to Milwaukee, and having some apprehension before coming to appreciate the city. A robust city in its own right, but far from the booming metropolises of Chicago, New York, or, in William's case, Atlanta. As often is the case though, he quickly realized it is a wonderful baseball city.

While the regular seasons in his first two years were great, it was well documented how each of the last two campaigns ended in a disappointing fashion with crushing playoff losses. While he, as a competitor, took some issue with the lack of fire in some guys in 2023, he goes on to say how heartbreaking last year was.

Contreras sheds light on the passing of Milwaukee Brewers icon Bob Uecker, indicating that players and those inside the team knew it was likely Bob's last shot at winning a ring. The grueling marathon of the baseball season can wear guys down, but Bob was there most days, telling guys "No one better than you, keep doing what you're doing. No one better than you." The guys wanted to win for him, and were crushed after an early exit to the New York Mets.

"You can't explain it"

Turning to the 2025 campaign, Contreras says that outside of Milwaukee, the common narrative is people saying "you can't explain it," all the winning that this team has done this summer, with so many moving parts, and a lower payroll. Yet they did it, more than any other team in baseball this season, and also more than any other Brewers team in franchise history. More than 1982, more than 2011, and more than 2018.

Contreras thinks he can explain it, borrowing a term from soccer, "the ball is round." The offseason moves, the predictions, and all that other stuff, doesn't matter because you still need to play the game, and once the game starts, anything can happen.

Lastly, he wraps up by seemingly confirming what we all already think. This is a special team. It feels like the year that he won a World Series with Atlanta. And, despite his initial misgivings and hesitancy to play in Milwaukee, that now he wants to play his whole career here, and most importantly win the first World Series in Brewers history. He thinks Bob may be wrong, in a way, ending his letter with "Well actually, Bob, probably some are better than me! I’m not the best. None of our group is. But if you’re telling me another team is the best??? Man, I swear. I haven’t seen them. No one better than Milwaukee right now. No one better than US."