William Contreras Sets MLB Postseason Home Run Trot Record

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras turned a 436-foot home run in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series into the longest base circuit ever recorded in Major League Baseball playoff history. His 35.77-second trip around American Family Field on Monday, Oct. 12, established a new postseason benchmark since Statcast began tracking trot times in 2015.

The blast helped propel Milwaukee to a 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving the Brewers a commanding position early in the series after winning Game 1 by a 2-1 margin.

Contreras has systematically slowed his celebrations over the past three seasons, transforming what was once a standard jog into a deliberate ritual. His average trot time this year sits at 31.14 seconds, the slowest mark among all MLB players in 2026 and the highest average in any season with publicly available tracking data dating back to 2019. That figure represents a sharp departure from his 28.11-second average in 2025, which ranked eighth in baseball, and his 26.21-second pace in 2024, when he placed 42nd.

His routine now features specific choreography. Between second and third base, Contreras typically pauses to acknowledge center field before stopping again near the bag to exchange a double low-five with third-base coach Matt Erickson. These staged moments add seconds that accumulate over a season.

While Monday’s NLCS homer set the postseason record, it ranks only eighth overall for the regular season and playoffs combined. Tampa Bay Rays infielder Junior Caminero holds the 2026 single-game record after taking 40.65 seconds to circle the bases following a walk-off home run against the Athletics on Sept. 15. Former Brewers designated hitter Nelson Cruz logged a 38.39-second trot for the Minnesota Twins against Oakland in 2021. Contreras himself recorded a 38.07-second walk-off celebration against the Miami Marlins on July 19 of this year, complete with an extended bat toss.

The catcher owns multiple entries near the top of the all-time leaderboard. A June 14, 2025, home run against the St. Louis Cardinals produced a 35.74-second trot, ranking ninth overall. That particular game carried added weight because his brother, Willson Contreras, homered for the Cardinals during the same inning.

Statcast calculates trot time from the moment the bat makes contact until the batter touches home plate. The metric, originally designed to measure player speed and baserunning efficiency, has evolved into an unofficial gauge of celebration culture across the sport. Players who take excessive time occasionally draw criticism for violating baseball’s unwritten rules regarding showmanship, though postseason milestones generally afford hitters wider latitude.

Beyond the stopwatch metrics, Contreras is rewriting Milwaukee’s offensive record books. With five career playoff home runs — including three during the current 2026 postseason — he is now tied with outfielder Jackson Chourio for the most October homers in Brewers franchise history. Both players surpassed the previous benchmarks held by sluggers such as Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, who anchored Milwaukee lineups during earlier deep postseason runs.

The Brewers host Games 1 and 2 of the NLCS at American Family Field before the series shifts to Los Angeles.