Willson Contreras' journey to big leagues close to complete

When Willson Contreras was a kid, he would crumple up a piece of paper, wrap it in tape and use it as a baseball.

Then Contreras, along with his brother, would hit the street outside their home in Venezuela to play with their homemade equipment.

Contreras’ rise from playing in the streets to stardom is nearly complete as he continues to make a case for his first big league promotion while with the Iowa Cubs.

“Our neighbors always got mad because we were so loud,” Contreras said. “One of them told my mom, ‘Willson’s going to be a big-leaguer because I can’t sleep. He’s so loud.’ ”

It doesn’t appear to be if, but when will the 24-year-old become a big-leaguer. It’s inevitable for the hard-hitting catcher, who has bashed his way to Triple-A and onto the radar of baseball experts.

He began the season ranked the second-best prospect in Chicago’s organization by Baseball America, and many fans already view him as the Cubs’ catcher of the future.

It’s a dream Contreras has had since he played baseball on the street, causing havoc throughout the neighborhood. His neighbor may have been the first to see the professional potential in Contreras, but eventually, many more would too.

Contreras moved to a baseball academy when he was 16 and caught the attention of the Cubs, who signed him when he was 17. When he was 18, he left his family in Venezuela and moved to the United States. It was a scary time for Contreras, who had never been to America and didn’t speak any English.

“The first year, it’s hard being away from family and being away from your parents,” Contreras said. “But if you want to be someone important in your life and you want to be successful in life, you’ve got to make sacrifices and work hard everywhere you go.”

The story of Contreras is his ability to learn and adapt at whatever he does. When he arrived in the United States, Contreras set out to conquer the English language. He began by getting on his phone and translating as many words and phrases as he could. Contreras spoke with as many teammates as he could in English.

There were changes on the field, too. Contreras, who began his career in the minor leagues by playing third base, eventually got time at second and then in the outfield. It wasn’t until the 2012 season that the Cubs moved him behind the plate.

“Once they moved me to catcher, I think that was the best thing to ever happen to me,” he said.

Contreras liked the idea of being involved in the game with every pitch. He improved his footwork, learned how to receive pitches, and was taught how to call games. Contreras, who had always shown he had the potential to hit, focused on his defense and the new position.

Eventually, the work paid off and Contreras got used to catcher. Once he got the hang of things behind the plate, he spent more time on his play at the plate. He used the balanced time and tips he got from playing with veterans with big league experience during winter ball to good use. It culminated with perhaps Contreras’ best season in 2015 at Double-A.

He won the Southern League batting crown with a .333 batting average and tallied 34 doubles, eight home runs and four triples in 126 games with the Tennessee Smokies.

Contreras, who had never played in Triple-A before, began the 2016 season with Iowa. He’s picked up right where he left off, hitting .329 with 11 doubles, eight homers and one triple in his first 43 games for Iowa.

“Offensively, when you have a young hitter that knows how to use the whole field like he does, he’s going to have some success and that’s really the key,” said Iowa hitting coach Brian Harper.

The work hasn’t stopped for Contreras, who has continued to work on his hitting and catching. He’s often out with teammates getting swings in on the field before batting practice. Harper said Contreras is willing to take any information he throws his way.

For Contreras, failure is not an option.

“He’s just a high-energy, high-intensity kid and he wants to win so bad,” said Iowa manager Marty Pevey. “He wants to win horribly bad.”

That competitive spirit has shown throughout the season as Iowa has struggled through the first half. After a game earlier in the month, Contreras walked into Pevey’s office and told his skipper he had had enough.

“He just said, ‘I’m tired of this. I’m tired of losing. I don’t want to lose anymore. We’ve got to start winning,’ ” Pevey recalled.

It’s a leadership quality that not every player has. It’s also a downfall for Contreras, who expects every at-bat to end with success.

“He’s a fierce competitor,” Harper said. “He really wants to compete and win. Sometimes that gets in the way a little bit because he gets so fiery. He needs to calm down a little bit but that will come as he matures.”

Contreras has already come a long way. His hitting has seemingly gotten better and better the last two seasons. Pevey said he’s also seen Contreras make strides behind the plate as well.  He’s also grown off the field, where he’s improved his English.

He had a huge day Monday at Principal Park, going 4-for-5 with five RBI, three runs scored and two home runs — including a grand slam.

With the type of season he’s having and now being one phone call away from the big leagues for the first time, expectations might be as high as they’ve ever been.

“He might be the next catcher to lead the league in hitting,” Pevey said. “He has the ability to be a Gold Glove-type catcher.”

The next step is just getting to the big leagues. Contreras has high hopes once he gets there.

His family has yet to see him play a professional game, but he hopes that changes whenever he goes up. He still stays in constant contact with his family. When Contreras signed his first contract, he bought his parents a new house. Contreras recently relocated them once again.

His rising fame has also made him a target in Venezuela, where families of big league players have been zeroed in on. In 2011, Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was abducted and eventually rescued. It’s a fear Contreras lives with while away during the season and when he returns to live with his family in the offseason.

“That is one thing I have been talking with my agent about is to buy a house or bigger residence where nobody knows who I am,” Contreras said. “And if nobody knows who I am, it’s going to be a lot better.”

Family is still one of the most important things for Contreras. His mom works as a janitor at a school. His dad makes cleaning supplies. He hopes to one day have his family — mom, dad and both his brothers — all reunited in the United States.

“I play for family,” Contreras said. “I obviously play to get my dreams to come true but I just have to respect my family because they did everything for me since I was born.”