Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 3-20-24

22 MARCH 20, 2024
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE
CARDINALS PREVIEW 2024
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By WARREN MAYES
The St. Louis Cardinals have projected
Masyn Winn to be their starting shortstop.
Now, Winn will have to show he
deserves it. He doesn’t believe the job has
been handed to him.
“I’m just going to go out there and compete,”
Winn said. “I want to go into spring
training with the same mindset as last year. I
got some opportunities last year
and made the most of them. I’m
going to go in there not thinking
that it’s my spot. I’m thinking I
need to earn a spot.
“I know they (the Cardinals)
believed in me last season and
still believe in me. I just want
to go out there and compete
for a spot. I’ve never been the
type to feel entitled to anything.
I don’t want to be given
Masyn Winn
a spot. I want to go out there and earn it.”
Winn turns 22 on March 21. He made
his Major League Baseball debut on Aug.
18 and has been the Cardinals’ starting
shortstop since.
While his glove is not in question,
Winn’s bat has been a cause for some concern.
Winn hit just .172 in 37 games with
the Cards last season after he was called
up from Triple-A Memphis.
Winn struck out 27 times. He had only 21
base hits. Those numbers obviously have
to change. Winn knows it. He doesn’t shy
away from that fact either.
“I think it’s not a secret I definitely
struggled at the plate last year,” Winn said.
“That’s been my main focus.”
He didn’t play enough games last fall so
he will still be a rookie this season.
The Cardinals added some insurance
just in case Winn struggles in training
camp. St. Louis signed veteran Brandon
Crawford to a contract in February. Crawford,
37, was a three-time All-Star shortstop
with the San Franciso Giants.
“We’re excited to be adding a player
with the winning credentials and pedigree
of Brandon Crawford,” said John Mozeliak,
Cardinals’ president of baseball
operations. “He is someone that will provide
us with valuable depth and experience
on the infield, and can also be a great
resource for our younger players, such as
Masyn Winn.”
The Cardinals know Winn is their future.
The organization has waited for Winn to
make his move up the organization. In the
2020 MLB Draft, the Cardinals selected
Winn 54th overall.
Last year in spring training, Winn hit
.333 with two homers, two doubles and two
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
Cardinals rookie Winn looks to
prove skills, improve offense
triples in 18 games before being sent back
to the minors so he could play every day.
His success last spring got Winn sent
to Memphis instead of heading back to
Double-A Springfield.
St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol
believes in Winn.
“I’m not concerned at all with Masyn’s
offense. I love Masyn Winn. His mentality.
His skill set. The way he approaches the
game. He’s constantly wanting
to learn,” Marmol said.
“He’s open. He’s coachable.
But his competitive nature is
incredible. He doesn’t scare.
“He came in, and he knew
that, I mean, the league was
tough. And he experienced
that. But he never backed
down. That’s an awesome
(MLB)
quality, especially at his age.”
Winn’s arm is off the charts.
Winn has a howitzer at his position. Some
of his throws have reached triple digits at
times. That arm combined with his slick
defense at the position and above-average
speed make him a player to watch.
Winn was a pitcher in high school. He
was a two-way player by pitching and
playing in the field.
His arm is not in question. Winn threw a
ball from his position at shortstop at 100.5
miles per hour in the MLB 2022 All-Star
Futures game.
Having him at shortstop gives St. Louis
perhaps the best defensive left side of the
infield in baseball between him and Nolan
Arenado.
While he didn’t hit after being called
up last season to the Cardinals, Winn has
shown he can hit. Last year at Memphis,
he produced a .288 average with 18 home
runs and 17 stolen bases in 105 games. He
also walked 44 times or 8.8% of his atbats
and struck out 83 times (16.7%).
Those walk and strikeout totals are an
indication of his good patience and pitch
recognition. He hit 11 home runs in 86
games at Double-A in 2022 after totaling
five between Class-A and High-A in 98
games in 2021.
“I’m not a stranger to struggle,” Winn
said. “I’ve struggled pretty much every
level that I’ve gone to whenever I’ve first
gotten up there. Struggled for a bit and
then worked it out. Definitely learned I
can take a little bit of failure.
“I know they believed in me last year,
and I know they still believe in me. Every
day, I want to go out there to compete and
compete for a spot. I’ve never felt entitled
to anything. I don’t want to be given a spot.
I want to go out there and earn it.”