Masyn Winn gives Cardinals consistency and fans a reason to hope

The team searched for an answer at shortstop for quite some time.

There were many candidates but only one winner. The St. Louis Cardinals needed a shortstop, but the players who took up the challenge didn’t seem to last long.

Before Masyn Winn took over the position last year, Paul DeJong played the most games at the position in seven straight seasons. The only problem was that DeJong’s yearly WAR (aka wins above replacement) declined with each passing season. He peaked in 2019 with a 5.3 WAR, but offered less than 3.0 WAR combined over the next four years.

Before DeJong, it was Aledmys Diaz, Jhonny Peralta, Pete Kozma, Rafael Furcal, Ryan Theriot, and Brendan Ryan before the last consistent name in David Eckstein. Does the name Cesar Izturis ring a bell? He started the most games at shortstop in 2008. Edgar Renteria was the mainstay for a good period of time. Ozzie Smith was the guy for thirteen seasons.

Winn is the only name on the list that I can see reaching a Wizard-type campaign at the position. In his first full season, he compiled a very impressive 4.9 WAR. While he committed 18 errors, Winn gave the team 14 defensive runs saved above average according to Baseball Reference and Fangraphs. While the latter website only had him at a collective 3.6 WAR, they did see him repeating that performance in 2025. Consistency at short is a breath of fresh air for St. Louis. Versatility is nice, too.

The 22-year-old offers a hybrid ability at arguably the most important position on a baseball team. He has the deep-in-the-hole arm to save runs and delete potential baserunners. He can take an extra second because a missile doesn’t take long to reach its destination.

Winn also offers pop at the plate, putting 18 home runs on the board along with 32 doubles and five triples. I like the 157 hits and 85 runs scored in a rookie season. The night and day OPS between 2023 and 2024 is a leap (.467 to .730), and the kid is only scratching the surface.

He’s a vocal player on the field, pushing his players to be better without showing up the veterans by overstepping. When there’s talent and performance to back up the words, the personality is appreciated. Call it the Crash Davis rules of etiquette. Winn is the rare talent that didn’t need a college audition in order to leap to the Major Leagues, getting drafted out of Katy, Texas in the second round back in 2020.

Five years later, he’s starting his second full season at shortstop with a chance to be the face of the franchise. Sure, Willson Contreras has the experience and fiery persona to add color and persuasion to a fanbase in need of a special allure to come out to the ballpark. But he’s an older player on a contract that doesn’t scream mainstay or a guy who will be here in three to four years. Winn isn’t going anywhere.

The bigger question surrounds his spot in the lineup. He tallied 467 at-bats in the leadoff spot last season, but the low on-base percentage didn’t inspire the need to give him another 500 looks there. He could be a slick #2 behind Brendan Donovan or Lars Nootbaar leading off, where his extra-base-hit talent and pop gives the team some options. A drop to the lower three spots in the order isn’t wise, but slotting him in the middle part of the lineup may turn him into a homer or miss hitter.

One good thing about Winn is that he doesn’t strike out a ridiculous amount. 109 punchouts in 600+ plate appearances is a nice rate for a guy who takes a big cut. Winn’s contact percentage, per Fangraphs, is strong at 83%. His swinging strike percentage is impressively small at 7.8%. When he takes a swing, there’s contact. His ability to draw a few more walks and push that .314 OBP up towards the .345-.350 range puts him into a leadoff position. If not, one spot down at #2 or perhaps #5 to appreciate his power would work.

Oli Marmol can have some fun with molding a lineup card that will soon include players who acquired their position under his watch. Leaning on the swagger and talent of Winn should be near the top of the manager’s must-do list. If the Cardinals are going to get back to being a feared National League threat, young guns like Winn are necessary. Hopefully, J.J. Wetherholt and Quinn Matthews find their way to that mountain. Imagine Jordan Walker bursting out of his shell again.

The 2025 and future Cardinals need the thump to come from within since the big spending options are not an option on the Redbird menu. That’s fine. Since you can’t spend like the Dodgers, the new goal has to be building better players than they do. It’s like Ford taking on Ferrari on the race car tracks. An uphill battle. At least make the ride fun to watch.