Willson Contreras' legendary quote shows why the Cardinals are lucky to have him

If you didn't already have enough reasons to love Willson Contreras, his legendary quote from this weekend about literally laying his life down for this St. Louis Cardinals team should cement his status as a fan favorite.

Many fans had questions about whether or not Contreras would be able to handle first base well after transitioning away from catcher this offseason. While the takes about him being a bad signing because of the position change are way off, it was fair to wonder how he would measure up defensively, following in the footsteps of one of the greatest defensive first basemen of the 21st century in Paul Goldschmidt.

Contreras has thrived in his new role defensively, ranking among the top first basemen in all of baseball in outs above average, and he really caught people's attention this weekend in Kansas City with his aggressive style of play that felt like reckless endangerment for the new first baseman.

Late in the game on Saturday, Contreras was tasked with guarding against a bunt as Kyle Leahy allowed the first two batters of the 8th inning to reach base. As Jonathan India stood in the box, Willson Contreras was already ten or so feet in front of first base, and began sharing all the way home when Leahy delivered each pitch, standing ten or so feet away from home plate by the time the ball was fired home. Contreras' aggressive play led India to swing the bat as the count went on, eventually hitting into a double play.

According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, multiple Cardinals coaches were warning Contreras about how close he was getting (for his own safety) as the at-bat was unfolding, but Contreras did not care. He then delieverd this incredible quote after the game.

"I don't care. I'm not afraid. If I'm gonna die, I'll die right there."

Willson Contreras is willing to literally lay his life down for this St. Louis Cardinals team

How can you not love Willson Contreras?

Ever since signing with St. Louis, all Contreras has done is put the Cardinals and his teammates first, constantly embodying what it looks like to be a good teammate, a respected leader, and producing at a high-level on the field, even after a debut season that saw the organization seemingly turn on him just a month into wearing the Birds on the Bat.

Contreras could have easily skipped town this offseason to latch on with an established contender. Since 2022, Contreras is slashing .256/.358/.461 at the plate, good for a 131 wRC+. So many teams would have wanted to add his bat this past offseason, and the Cardinals would have been willing to make the change, but Contreras wanted to remain a Cardinal. He signed in St. Louis to help this organization win, and he wasn't going to quit on them.

So far, Contreras' loyalty is being rewarded by his young teammates, who have risen to the occasion and are making this team a contender in 2025. While Contreras got off to a really slow start this year, his bat has been back to normal as of late. Over his last 25 games, Contreras is slashing .348/.443/.573 with five home runs and 19 RBI, leading to an eye-popping 183 wRC+ in the process.

Contreras is nailing it as the Cardinals' first baseman so far, and it really does seem like he will do whatever it takes to help this team win on any given night. He has already called upon the city of St. Louis to come out and support this team, and hopefully, he gets to see the stadium packed soon to back the loyalty he's shown us.