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Brazil’s return to the World Baseball Classic in 2026 has offered a chance for the national team’s young talent to shine. And with that, there will be a massive stage for one of the top prospects in the 2026 MLB Draft.
A 17-year-old pitcher will be suiting up for Team Brazil when Joseph Contreras, a right-handed hurler, takes the mound as the youngest player in the 2026 WBC.
Contreras won’t just be known for his remarkable age while playing in the WBC — he’s also got some family baseball history that MLB fans may be familiar with.
Here’s what to know about Joseph Contreras and his connection to former MLB pitcher Jose Contreras.
MORE: World Baseball Classic wins by country
Is Joseph Contreras related to Jose Contreras?
Joseph Contreras is the son of former big-league right-handed pitcher Jose Contreras, who is best known for his time with the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox.
Like his father, Joseph is a right-handed pitcher who is now pursuing an MLB career.
Source: RHP prospect Joseph Contreras was included on Brazil’s final roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Joseph, 17, is the son of José Contreras and his mother is Brazilian.
Considered one of the premier high school pitchers to watch in the next MLB Draft. pic.twitter.com/e3nscCS6wx
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) February 3, 2026
MORE: What to know about WBC eligibility rules
Who is Joseph Contreras?
Joseph Contreras is a 17-year-old right-handed pitcher who is considered a strong prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft. He stands at 6-foot-4, played high school baseball in Georgia and is the son of former MLB pitcher Jose Contreras.
Joseph is a commit to Vanderbilt, as he announced in September 2025.
Right-hander pitcher Joseph Contreras, son of Jose Contreras, announced his commitment to Vanderbilt.
Joseph, 17, reaches 93–96 MPH with his fastball and shows notable growth potential to become a starting pitcher in the future. pic.twitter.com/7wsIb3S99f
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) September 15, 2025
Additionally, Joseph Contreras was afforded an extremely rare opportunity for a high-school-level pitcher: participating in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He will be a member of Brazil’s roster, and he is the youngest rostered player in the entire tournament.
MORE: Inside Team USA’s WBC history
Why is Joseph Contreras playing for Brazil in the World Baseball Classic?
While Joseph Contreras was born in the United States, playing high school ball in Georgia, he is eligible to play for Brazil in the 2026 World Baseball Classic because his mother, Isabel, is Brazilian. Additionally, his father defected from Cuba before going onto become a World Series-winning pitcher in MLB.
Brazil, which last participated in the WBC in 2013, is also fairly short on MLB or MiLB-level talent, compared to other teams in the 2026 tournament. While teams like Japan, the U.S. and the Dominican Republic could easily fill out their roster with proven arms, Brazil’s willingness to bring in a 17-year-old premiere high school arm for the WBC speaks to the team’s need for roster options.
Brazil will face the U.S. in pool play of the 2026 WBC, so as one of the top young arms for the 2026 draft, Contreras could have the chance to face a collection of MLB All-Stars. Regardless, the WBC stage will be a bright one for him to prove his draft case.
MORE: Revisiting Ken Griffey Jr.’s 2006 WBC
Joseph Contreras scouting report
Contreras stands at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, per Baseball America. The Vanderbilt commit has been ranked among the best high school right-handed pitchers in the country, with ESPN writing that his biggest question is the “quality of his primary breaking pitch,” as he has thrown a mid-80s slider, but is now throwing an 88-91 mph cutter.
Contreras’ fastball sits around 94-98 mph, but he has hit 99. He throws a forkball that is currently considered his best pitch, as it “dies at the plate,” his MLB.com profile says. Contreras is being projected as a starter someday, per ESPN, but the “industry is still split” on him.
MLB.com gave the following grades to Contreras’ arsenal as a prospect:
- Fastball: 55
- Slider: 55
- Forkball: 60
- Changeup: 55
- Control: 50
- Overall: 50
Great look at the vicious FB/Fork combo from 2026 RHP Joseph Contreras.
– FB; 96 MPH, 2245 RPM
– Fork; 79 MPH, 1092 RPM 🤮Overlay/Slo-Mo@VandyBoys commit and one of the top RHP in the country. @PrepBaseballGA || @ShooterHunt #GDC26 pic.twitter.com/KVyAknzU0i
— Ian Smith (@IanSmittyGA) February 23, 2026
Joseph Contreras MLB prospect ranking
MLB.com has ranked Contreras as the No. 47 prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft, while ESPN has him ranked No. 35.
“He could fit into the top two rounds as one of the higher-ceiling arms in the high school class, though teams will have to sign him away from a Vanderbilt commitment,” Contreras’ MLB.com prospect profile says. “He still has room to pack plenty of muscle on his lanky frame, so he could add more power to his heater and his secondary offerings.”
“Contreras has a clean arm action and delivers his pitches from a high three-quarters slot. He throws his fastball for strikes and gets chases with the rest of his arsenal. Besides adding more strength, he needs to improve his fastball quality and show that his forkball, slider and changeup will work against more discerning hitters.”
‘26 RHP Joseph Contreras (GA) sitting at 92-95 & up to 96. Full repertoire, stopping action & huge depth to fork. Spinning a nasty tight SL at 86-87 too. #AnchorDown commit #PGShowdown @BT_Baseball @PG_Georgia @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/OdyfZo0ru2
— Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) February 27, 2026
MORE: What to know about Japan’s WBC history
Jose Contreras MLB teams timeline
Jose Contreras spent time with the Yankees, White Sox, Phillies and more from 2003-13.
The elder Contreras was named an All-Star in 2006, won a World Series with the White Sox in 2005 and competed for the Cuban national team in the Summer Olympics, the Pan American Games and the Baseball World Cup; he’s regarded as one of the best Cuban baseball players ever.
Here’s a look at his timeline in MLB.
New York Yankees, 2002-04
In December 2002, after Contreras defected from Cuba, he signed a four-year, $32 million deal with the Yankees. By that point, he was already considered one of the top international pitchers — Contreras had played for the Cuban national team in the Summer Olympics, Pan American Games, Baseball World Cup and a 1999 exhibition series against the Baltimore Orioles, along with the Pinar del Río Vegueros of the Cuban National Series.
In that 1999 exhibition appearance against the Orioles, Contreras had pitched eight shutout innings, striking out 10 batters. His MLB stock grew from there. While Contreras hadn’t shown interest in defecting previously, he surprised scouts by defecting in 2002.
Contreras made a few stops throughout the Yankees’ minor league teams before reaching MLB and putting together some strong outings for New York. In the 2003 season, he appeared in 18 games, making nine starts and totaling a 7-2 record, a 3.30 ERA and 72 strikeouts. Contreras also appeared in eight postseason games.
In 2004, Contreras was initially a member of the Yankees’ rotation, but he struggled and was optioned to the minor leagues for a month.
Chicago White Sox, 2004-09
In July 2004, ahead of the trade deadline, the Yankees traded Contreras to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for pitcher Esteban Loaiza. Between New York and Chicago in 2004, he finished with 13–9 record, a 5.50 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 170.3 innings.
The 2005 season would be a big one for Contreras, as he finished the season at 15–7 with a 3.61 ERA in 32 starts for the White Sox, becoming a major piece of their rotation. He had a complete game against the Twins on Sept. 23, 2005.
Chicago made the postseason, and Contreras was the team’s Game 1 starter in each round. He won two games in the 2005 postseason — and the White Sox went on to win the World Series, with Contreras posting a 3–1 record, a 3.09 ERA and 14 strikeouts over four postseason starts.
Contreras signed a three-year, $29 million extension with Chicago in 2006, and he started the year strong, with a 9–0 record, a 3.31 ERA and 71 strikeouts by July. He then broke a team record with his 16th consecutive win in the regular season, and Contreras was named an All-Star in the 2006 season but didn’t pitch in the game itself.
Contreras’ fortune with the White Sox largely ran out from there. He struggled the rest of the way in 2006, finishing with a 4.27 ERA in 30 starts, then went 10–17 with a 5.57 ERA in 32 games on a struggling Chicago squad in 2007, although he did have two shutouts.
In August 2008, Contreras tore his Achilles tendon while fielding a ground ball, and he didn’t return until the 2009 season. But after going 0-5 in his return, he was moved to the bullpen, then the minor leagues.
Colorado Rockies, 2009
In August 2009, the White Sox traded Contreras to the Colorado Rockies with cash for minor league pitcher Brandon Hynick.
He would only spend a few months with Colorado before becoming a free agent.
Philadelphia Phillies, 2010-12
Contreras signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies in January 2010. With the deal, he became a full-time bullpen arm after previous years as a starter; in May 2010, he earned his first career save as he filled in for usual closer Brad Lidge.
After posting a 3.34 ERA in 67 appearances in 2010, Contreras signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract to remain in Philadelphia. He would put up a 3.86 ERA in 17 appearances in 2011 and a 5.27 ERA at age 40 in 2012, and the team then declined his club option after he spent most of the year injured.
Pittsburgh Pirates, 2013
Contreras’ final stop of his MLB career came in 2013, as he signed a minor-league deal with the Pirates but was elevated to the MLB roster by May. In seven appearances for Pittsburgh, he had a 7.00 ERA, which resulted in him being released, re-signed, then released again.
While Contreras did go on to ink minor-league deals with the Red Sox in late 2013 and the Rangers in the spring of 2014, he did not make another MLB appearance. He went on to pitch in the Mexican League and Chinese Professional Baseball League.
MORE: Ranking the best father-son duos in MLB history
Is Joseph Contreras related to Willson and William Contreras?
No, despite having the same last name, Joseph Contreras is not related to current MLB players William and Willson Contreras, who are brothers.
Where is Joseph Contreras from?
Joseph Contreras is from Alpharetta, Georgia and attended Blessed Trinity Catholic High School, where he helped lead his team to a state 4-A title in 2025.
While his father defected from Cuba before his MLB career in the United States, his mother is Brazilian, which is why Joseph is eligible to play for Brazil in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
MORE: Most World Baseball Classic wins, by team
Where is Jose Contreras from?
Jose Contreras, the 11-year former All-Star MLB pitcher and father of prospect Joseph Contreras, is from Las Martinas, Pinar del Río, Cuba.
In his early baseball career, Jose Contreras played for Cuba’s national team and in the Cuban National Series, but he defected from Cuba in October 2002, which led to his MLB career.
