Willson Contreras takes 97 mph fastball to the nuts, a breakdown
What Happened
During a 2019 interleague game in Chicago between the Cubs and Mets, Cubs catcher Willson Contreras took a 97 mph fastball from Tyler Chatwood that bounced in the dirt and ricocheted directly into his groin while JD Davis was batting. Contreras still managed to gather himself and hold the baserunners before collapsing in pain. The training staff and teammates rushed out to check on him, while Anthony Rizzo and the coaching staff cracked jokes once it was clear he'd survive. Contreras eventually stood up, shook it off, and stayed in the game.
Why This Matters
A wild pitch in the dirt is the most dangerous play for any catcher, and Contreras got the worst of it on a 97 mph heater that found the gap a cup can't fully cover. What stands out is that he stayed composed enough to keep the runners from advancing before he went down, which is the kind of instinct that separates everyday big league catchers from backups. The breakdown also highlights a quirk fans rarely see: the Cubs and Mets broadcast feeds cut the same moment completely differently, one zooming on the agony, the other pulling back. Contreras was an All-Star caliber catcher for the Cubs in 2019, and toughing this out without leaving the game fit his reputation. Catchers absorb dozens of these hits a season. Most never make a highlight reel.
With 2.0M views, this clip ranks 107th of 1,583 Jomboy breakdowns, landing in the top 6.8% of the entire catalog.
Key Moments
Who / What Is Involved
Players: Willson Contreras. Teams: Orioles.
Key Terms Mentioned
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentwe had a classic nut shot in Chicago
chat woods pitching JD Davis's hitting
check this out first when I was editing
this video there's a huge difference in
the way these two networks broadcast
this shot this is the Cubs this is the
Mets
it's crazy different everyone comment
which one you prefer I haven't really
figured it out yet way different way to
watch it all right here we go
here's the pitch it bounces and right to
the balls Contreras gets up he tries to
make the play hold the runners I think
he does he does a good job there but he
is in pain and the umpire and shout are
like yeah we can't do anything here
nothing we can do to help oh don't do it
Jimmy don't go slow-mo don't do it oh no
no no one wants to watch this again
why'd I do it
oh no just flush just the perfect shot
trainers out there like I can't help you
but it'll look better if I'm just
sitting here I think now the whole team
is there like hey did you get into dick
is that what happened in Chicago zooms
in on the face show the a can he show
the agony good job in the booth gasps
uh-oh oh good for that lady for having
sympathy right away huh
oh she was all over it now Rizzo and
madder out there [ __ ] around making
jokes like yeah I thought it look like
it kind of felt good now yeah I would
like it man is thinking uh man your cup
didn't work what the hell laughing hey
it's cold out I don't know I'm kind of
like all right we're good stretching it
out making sure everything's still there
in one piece can you stand do you have
your breath back I'm good okay here we
go and back on with the game back to
normal
well JD Davis is like I don't know man I
haven't never really moved on myself you
may have recovered but I'm still hurting
over here