Contreras' heater back to the pitcher? It's a wakeup call: 'Like a mound visit'

When Jacob Misiorowski joined the Brewers last year, he was used to throwing fastballs, not catching them.

That changed during his second career start in Minnesota. The incoming heater came from Misiorowski’s catcher and now his fellow 2026 All-Star, William Contreras.

“He launched it,” Misiorowski said.

If you want to understand Contreras’ influence on the Brewers, you can look at his solid offensive numbers (.281 average and .344 on-base percentage), or where he bats in the lineup (typically cleanup) or where the Brewers have ranked in run prevention (MLB-leading 3.33 ERA).

Or you can pay close attention between pitches. When Contreras senses a pitcher is losing focus, when a pitcher shakes off a sign and fails to execute, or when a pitch is downright uncompetitive, Contreras is likely to wind up and fire a heater back to the mound.

Every pitcher on the Brewers roster has received one.

“It’s like, ‘Let’s [bleeping] go,’” Contreras explained as he prepares for his third career trip to the Midsummer Classic and second since joining the Brewers. “I don’t care if it hits him. He has to catch it and the next pitch has to be a strike. It’s something to wake him up. It’s like a mound visit without a mound visit."

Contreras has noticed that it almost always works. He doesn’t have statistics to back this up, but he’d venture that the Brewers’ execution percentage following one of those intentful return throws is exceptionally high.

When Misiorowski was asked earlier this season during a live, in-game interview on Brewers.TV how he interprets those messages from his catcher, he gave a memorably uncensored answer.

"Figure your s--t out,” Misiorowski said with a laugh.

“I read it as, ‘Let’s attack,’” said lefty Kyle Harrison. “Sometimes you get caught up in your thoughts, and that breaks it up. It’s like, ‘Let’s reset.’”

“It doesn’t even catch you off guard anymore,” said second-year starter Logan Henderson, who pitched into the sixth inning of Thursday’s 8-4 win over the Cardinals with Contreras behind the plate. “I like it. It’s accountability. It’s kind of like an unspoken language out there.”

Since MLB implemented limits on the number of times catchers, coaches and managers can visit the mound in the interest of moving games along, catchers like Contreras have been devising non-verbal ways to communicate with pitchers.

Best as Brewers coach Nestor Corredor remembers, it started between Contreras and some of the team’s Latin American relievers like Joel Payamps and Elvis Peguero. Then it spread to the starting pitchers last season.

Here’s one of Contreras’ earliest fastballs to Misiorowski during the right-hander's second career start at Minnesota, on a night he extended the hitless start to his career to 11 innings before the Twins broke through.

When he stands up, winds up and fires, you know he’s really hot. This was Opening Day against the White Sox.

But it’s not all tough love. When Contreras likes the execution of a pitch, like this two-strike breaking ball, he’ll let a pitcher like Misiorowski know it.

Sometimes, albeit rarely, Contreras misses his spot and a pitcher has to dance a little.

And it’s not limited to games. Harrison remembers getting his first Contreras fastball during a bullpen session.

“I got warnings from some of the other guys that it could happen,” Harrison said. "So when it did happen, I was ready. Just get that glove up, because it gets on you.”

Like this, in Harrison’s second Brewers start.

Now, everyone knows it could be coming.

“It’s every game,” said organizational newcomer Brandon Sproat. “I get them in the bullpen, in the game. I enjoy it. It’s his way of saying, ‘Put your foot on the gas.’”

“Thankfully,” said another Brewers newcomer, lefty Shane Drohan, “it’s usually a good throw back. It’s always right to your chest. If it was anywhere else, it could be a problem.”

With each outing, they have all come to appreciate Contreras in ever more granular ways. Drohan, for example, loves the way Contreras is aware when hitters are trying to control the pace from pitch to pitch by varying when they lock eyes with the pitcher. Contreras plays along, holding the pitcher until it’s time to come set.

“He’s just so in control of the game,” Drohan said.

Contreras said that’s because he enjoys winning, and he likes to remind his pitchers to want to win just as badly.

“He’s like a bulldog back there. There’s no question,” said Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby, who has pitched in more games than anyone else on the staff. “And he appreciates being appreciated.”

The Brewers certainly do appreciate their All-Star catcher.

“I don’t really shake him, ever,” Misiorowski said. “William is back there calling it, and I’m the one who has to deliver what he’s asking for.”