While the St. Louis Cardinals have had a disappointing 2023 campaign, there have been bright spots — namely, the development of the likes of Lars Nootbaar and Jordan Walker. Now, another highly-touted youngster is set to head to St. Louis. Shortstop Masyn Winn has been summoned by the Cardinals from the Minors. Here’s a closer look at Winn.
Related: Five College Pitchers That Stood Out in the 2023 Cape Cod League Season
A Look at Winn
Two key pieces to the St. Louis Cardinals’ future are Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn. Walker got his first test at the MLB level earlier this season, and he’s performed well at the plate in 2023 despite issues in the outfield. Across his first 313 MLB plate appearances, Walker hit .260/.326/.421 with 11 home runs, 23 extra base hits, and 34 RBI with St. Louis.
Now, Winn will get his chance.
Drafted one round after the Cardinals selected Walker in 2020, Winn hit .272/.351/.437 across three Minor League seasons (2021-23) and had arguably his best season as a pro in 2023. With Memphis (AAA), Winn hit .288 with a career-high 18 home runs, 40 extra base hits, 61 RBI, and 99 runs scored. The 21-year-old also tallied 17 stolen base with the Redbirds.
The rap on Winn is that the young shortstop should project to be a strong defensive infielder. The 21-year-old possesses plus speed and a plus-plus arm, both of which should help him stick at short (h/t MLB.com)
At the plate, Winn’s increased his power input and it’s not out of the question he can be a 15 home run hitter in the Majors on an annual basis when it’s all said and done. However, he looks to be more of a contact over power hitter — which isn’t a bad thing.
Winn now joins a collection of infielders that include Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt and infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman.
The Cardinals put OF Lars Nootbaar on the 10-day injured list as a corresponding move. Nootbaar hit .330/.431/.596 with seven home runs and 14 RBI in 130 plate appearances since the All-Star break.
What it Means for the Cardinals and Fantasy Outlook
It seemed likely that at some point Winn would be up this year, given that the Cards dealt shortstop Paul DeJong at the Trade Deadline and St. Louis is now set to look towards 2024 and beyond. However, a number of injuries opened the door for the young shortstop to move up before the start of September.
With Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman now on the IL, the Cardinals now get a look at Winn and whether he can be an option for St. Louis to start the 2024 campaign.
As far as Winn’s fantasy outlook is concerned, we did rank the Cardinals shortstop as a prospect to watch for fantasy earlier this month. Winn’s got the speed and hit tool to be a useful shortstop, although his fantasy potential will ultimately depend on how much he can hit for both contact and power at the MLB level.
