Cardinals Have Bright Future With Rising Star 'Certain To Climb' Elite Rankings

The St. Louis fan favorite is ready for a monstrous 2025 season

Aug 16, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (0) celebrates with left fielder Tommy Pham (29) after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are hopeful that their youth movement will prevail but they'll need to see significant improvements from several youngsters.

For instance, former top prospects Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman were demoted in 2024 after floundering at the plate. Perhaps learning from new Cardinals hitting coach Brant Brown this offseason will profoundly impact both sluggers' offensive performance this year.

As for a young St. Louis fan favorite, the Cardinals need him to continuously dominate as he did during his rookie season. It's possible his 2025 campaign could be even more prolific.

"The Cardinals shortstop (Masyn Winn) expects his 2024 rookie season to be his worst year in the majors and that's the type of attitude that sets him apart from his peers," Fox Sports' Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner wrote Wednesday after ranking Winn as the league's 15th best player under 25 years old. "To be clear, Winn's first full season in The Show was an absolute success; he led the team in WAR and emerged as the future face of the franchise. As he continues to grow, Winn is all but certain to climb up our rankings."

Winn batted .267 with 52 extra-base hits including 15 home runs, 57 RBIs and a .730 OPS in 150 games played for the Cardinals last season.

The 23-year-old was a legitimate candidate to win National League Rookie of the Year last season but with pitching phenom Paul Skenes' emergence as one of the league's most elite starting pitchers, Winn didn't stand much of a chance.

Regardless, Winn's dazzling defensive skills, triple-digit throwing arm velocity and surprising offensive pop for his slender 5' 9" 185-pound frame make him an exciting player to watch.

It comes as no surprise that the young shortstop is confident in his abilities to grow as a major leaguer. Winn, who idolized Cardinals' legend Ozzie Smith, hopes to follow in the Hall of Fame infielder's footsteps. The St. Louis homegrown star is early in his career but his unique gifts and talent make his future an exciting topic to marvel at.

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