One of the most talented Chicago Cubs catchers in recent memory is Willson Contreras.
The Venezuelen born catcher was a World Series champ with the 2016 Cubs.
He has started behind the plate for the National League (NL) in three of the last four MLB All Star games.
He's led all NL catchers in key categories like caught stealing, assists and double plays turned.
Contreras is a big, athletic catcher who brings lots of energy. He's fun to watch.
Not surprisingly, he is a popular big leaguer playing for a popular team and many people are interested in the gear Contreras uses.
Which is exactly what this article explores.
We showcase all the catcher's gear and related defensive equipment that Willson Contreras uses.
Read on to learn more!
Willson Contreras Catchers Gear
What Catchers Gear Does Willson Contreras Use?
Willson Contreras uses Nike catchers gear, as of the 2022 MLB season.
Let's start at the top and work our way down.
For head protection, he doesn't use a catcher's helmet but a Nike facemask with a blue Cubs skull cap.
Over his chest, Contreras wears a Nike chest protector whose color pattern varies depending on the jersey he's wearing.
For example, he may wear a gray toned chest protector when in the gray, visiting jerseys the Cubs wear.
When in the Cubs' traditional home pinstripe uniforms, Contreras can often be seen rocking a Nike chest protector with a color pattern based on the Venezuelan flag.
Contreras also uses one shoulder cap, over his right shoulder, attached to his chest protector.
Like his other gear, the leg guards that Contreras uses are made by Nike. Contreras has been a user of the PitchCom system in 2022, and the black, rectangular transmitter is often attached to the top-most protective pad of his leg guards.
For cleats, he sticks with his main brand and uses Nike cleats.
Of note, earlier in his career, Contreras wore Under Armour catcher's gear. He switched to Nike around the 2020 big league season.
Willson Contreras Catchers Mitt
What Catchers Mitt Does Willson Contreras Use?
For the majority of his big league career, Willson Contreras used a Wilson A2000 catcher's mitt.
Beginning around the 2021 MLB season, however, Willson ditched Wilson.
Instead, he began using a custom Rawlings catchers mitt, which he uses to this day.
Contreras has a variety of Rawlings mitts, but the one he most frequently uses is made of black leather with red stitching and the words "WC40" sewed into it.
He sometimes also uses a dark red Rawlings mitt with gold stitching, which is what he was catching with during the 2022 Field of Dreams game, as you can see in the image below.
In addition to his mitt, Contreras wears a black wrist strap that connects to his glove. This type of strap is worn by a variety of big league catchers (such as Yadier Molina and Salvador Perez), and it serves to protect the small bones around the wrist while also supporting the weight of the catcher's mitt.
You may notice catchers with this type of strap holding a catcher's mitt dangling from their wrist during a lull in a game.
That’s A Wrap!
We hope you enjoyed this short article and that it helped answer your questions about Willson Contreras catcher's gear.
If you'd like to get in touch, please contact us. We love to hear from readers.
Thanks for stopping by Catchers Home.