Much was made this offseason of the possible negative effects former hitting coach Chili Davis had on several Cubs hitters in 2018. One of the most frequently cited sluggers in that group was Willson Contreras, who saw his OPS fall from .855 in 2017 to just .729 last season.
Whether it was the Chili Effect or the wear and tear of over 1,100 innings behind the plate that led to the slump, something has changed in the early going of 2019. Contreras has been crushing ball the first 17 games of the season and his six homers put him on pace to easily eclipse his grand total of 10 from last season.