Ahead of Game 4 of the World Series, analysts Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz were posed with a hypothetical question by Kevin Burkhardt regarding a potential sweep by the Milwaukee Brewers over the Tampa Bay Rays.
While each analyst initially offered different perspectives, they ultimately arrived at the same conclusion regarding who should claim the Most Valuable Player honors. Jeter began by emphasizing the collective nature of the Brewers’ performance, comparing it to the 2001 New England Patriots team introduction in Super Bowl XXXVI.
“You might as well just give it all to the entire team with how they played,” said the five-time World Series champion. Pressed to select a single player, Jeter pointed to catcher William Contreras, citing his contributions on offense, defense, game calling and handling automated ball-strike challenges.
Rodriguez echoed those sentiments, highlighting Contreras’s impact across both sides of the ball. He recalled a specific instance from Game 2 when manager Pat Murphy consulted Contreras about leaving pitcher Ashby in the game, to which the catcher responded affirmatively. Rodriguez also praised Contreras’s plate discipline, describing him as performing like an artificial intelligence robot.
Ortiz initially hedged his selection, pointing out that multiple players had contributed significantly to winning games. He listed pitcher Ashby out of the bullpen, Contreras and Chourio as players who had all done something special.
However, after listening to Jeter and Rodriguez make their cases, Ortiz aligned with his fellow analysts and chose Contreras, affectionately referring to him as “The Bazooka.”
