Cardinals Phenom Has Chance To Cement Name In Franchise History Alongside Legend

St. Louis has a bright future with the young slugger

Oct 3, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Albert Pujols (5) in the on-deck circle against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals have been a fairly mediocre team this season and there haven't been too many standout performances from players.

All-Star veterans Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado haven't played up to their standards and pitchers have been inconsistent -- with the exception of Ryan Helsley, who was the only Cardinals player voted to this year's All-Star game.

However, a young rising star having a stellar first full season in the big leagues could soon be recognized for his efforts in 2024.

Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn is having a breakout season after making his Major League Baseball debut in Aug. 2023. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal labeled him a "worth of mention" candidate for National League Rookie of the Year. The last St. Louis phenom to win ROTY was future Hall of Fame slugger Albert Pujols, who won in 2001.

Winn is batting .276 with 34 extra-base hits including nine home runs, 41 RBIs and a .739 OPS in 110 games played for the Cardinals this season.

Granted, Winn is nowhere close to touching Pujols's rookie-year stats but nonetheless, his performance in 2024 has been exceptional.

Not only has the 22-year-old been a consistent hitter all year for a struggling Cardinals offense but he's also been a force on defense. Winn throws harder than any shortstop in major league history and his strong arm strength has easily helped record plenty of outs that wouldn't have been had he not been able to throw so hard.

Sadly, this season has quite a few generational talent rookies that are at the top of the ticket to win ROTY and it's doubtful Winn will triumph over them. Still, it's encouraging to see a key piece of the organization's future being recognized for his success this early in his career.

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