Cubs' Contreras proving to be a quick learner

Welcome to the education of a young catcher.

The coursework is accelerated, and the curriculum includes Calling Pitches 101, Setting up Behind the Plate and Practicum in Working with Veteran Pitchers.

Instructors include some of the top faculty members in baseball, as well as active practitioners of the craft.

The prized pupil is 24-year-old Willson Contreras, a confident, inquisitive sort who hails from Venezuela.

Contreras made his major-league debut on June 19, and he did so with a bang, hitting the first pitch he saw for a home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field.

Where does one go from there? As it turns out, there has been plenty to learn, and Contreras seems eager to soak it up.

"I want to learn every day," he said. "I want to get to the field and improve a little bit every day. Like I've said before, I have confidence in myself that I know what I can do."

Contreras was a hot prospect in the minor leagues, much of it due to his bat. Last year at Class AA Tennessee, he led the Southern League with a .333 batting average to go along with a .413 on-base percentage, a 478 slugging percentage, 8 homers and 75 RBI.

The Cubs called up up this year after he went .353/.442/.593 with 9 homers at Class AAA Iowa.

Since arriving in the big leagues, Contreras has gone 271/.363/.443 with 5 homers and 10 RBI. He has started 17 games behind the plate, 17 in left field and 2 at first base.

As with any young player, there are going to be growing pains, especially at a position as crucial as catcher. But overall, Contreras is making the grade.

"There's nothing that he does that surprises me," said manager Joe Maddon. "He is so in the moment. He loves this game. He loves to play. He's not intimidated by anything or anybody. I'd like to be his boxing manager in the off-season. I'd like to be in his corner. I think he could compete in that sport, also. This guy's not afraid of anything."

Contreras got a ringing endorsement Tuesday night from veteran pitcher Jason Hammel, who tossed 6 scoreless innings against the Miami Marlins with the rookie behind the plate.

"He's a great kid; I love him," Hammel said. "He basically has gotten better every start that I've worked with him, with the game calling, blocking. He's even coming up to me giving me hugs now. He saw that I was frustrated coming out early, and he was like, 'Hey, nice job.' He's got kind words, wise words (beyond) his young years. Obviously, very proud of him."

For help, Contreras can turn to veteran catchers Miguel Montero (also a Venezuelan) and David Ross. Montero says he operates from the premise Contreras has all the ability he needs.

"It's all about the mental approach," Montero said. "I think this game is 70 percent mental and 30 percent abilities. It's not about, 'Catch the ball like this. Catch the ball another way.' He knows how to catch a ball. He knows how to hit. Sometimes as a player, you want to help him with a little tweak, a little tweak maybe about hitting. But the most important thing for me is the thought process as a catcher is so important to stay focused on your catching and your pitchers.

"He's got all the tools. Obviously, it's tough for a young guy to come in and catch big-leaguers, established pitchers. It's not that he gets intimidated, but he doesn't want to mess it up, either. He doesn't want to create (a situation) where a pitcher says, 'I don't like how he calls a game.' So he stresses that a lot, and he works hard to get better at that."

For that kind of help, Contreras seems grateful.

"A lot, especially with Miguel Montero and David Ross," he said. "They help me, and I'm just thankful for those guys."

Contreras has been playing regularly again of late after Maddon backed off a bit and gave him a breather in late July.

Now, things seem to be on the upswing again. He is 5-for-15 with 3 walks and 3 RBI in his last 4 games.

"We gave him a couple days off," the manager said. "I thought he was getting a little bit ragged with a lot of things just because he was playing too much. Again, just be aware of that. We want to stretch him deep into the season. We can't push him too hard because I think diminishing returns will set in at some point. I thought he needed a break.

"We backed off. He looked really fresh at the plate the last couple nights. So yeah, you've got to keep an eye on these guys. They're young. They're not used to this stuff. They're not used to the major-league game on a daily basis, the scrutiny and just the grind of the day-game, night-game thing that we do here."

• Follow Bruce's Cubs and baseball reports on Twitter @BruceMiles2112.

Scouting report

Cubs vs. Oakland Athletics at Oakland Coliseum

TV: Comcast SportsNet Plus Friday; Comcast SportsNet Saturday; WGN Sunday

Radio: WSCR 670-AM

Pitching matchups: The Cubs' Jon Lester (11-4) vs. Dillon Overton (1-2) Friday at 9:05 p.m.; Jake Arrieta (12-5) vs. Sonny Gray (5-10) Saturday at 3:05 p.m.; Kyle Hendricks (10-7) vs. Sean Manaea (3-6) Sunday at 3:05 p.m.

At a glance: These two teams have met in only three series, most recently in 2013. Hard as it is to believe, given their recent history, the Athletics are last in the American League in on-base percentage (. 306). They entered Thursday's game against the Angels last in the AL West. Khris Davis was the offensive leader for Oakland with a line of .254/.296/.516 with 27 homers and 69 RBI going into Thursday. The Cubs were off Thursday. They are on pace to win 100 games after a 7-1 homestand. They'll come right back after this series for 10 more games at Wrigley Field. Hendricks is second in the NL in ERA (2.22).

Next: Los Angeles Angels at Wrigley Field, Tuesday-Wednesday

- Bruce Miles