3 Cardinals who could still get an All-Star nod

SS Masyn Winn

Masyn Winn has been one of the best players on the Cardinals this year. The rookie shortstop, despite his troubles early on, has been a stabilizing force on the defensive side. His 10 defensive runs saved rank second among all players in the National League and 1st among shortstops. While outs above average doesn't love Winn, he's shown much improvement in that metric with a -1 rating now. Two months ago he sat even deeper in the negatives.

Offensively, Winn has been a pleasant surprise. He has moved into the leadoff spot during the Cardinals' torrid run these past 7 weeks, and he's set the table for players like Alec Burleson and Willson Contreras to contribute.

Winn is slashing .289/.337/.409 on the season for a 113 OPS+ and 2.0 fWAR. He doesn't hit for much power, but his speed is dangerous. He's 9 for 12 in stolen bases, and of his 25 extra-base hits, 18 are doubles, and 3 are triples. Winn has been off to a hot start in July thus far with a .896 OPS through 6 games. If he keeps that level of production up, clamors for his presence at the All-Star game will grow.

Infielders who were snubbed include Francisco Lindor (3.5 fWAR), Willy Adames (2.7 fWAR), Ha-Seong Kim (2.6 fWAR), and Brice Turang (2.5 fWAR). Winn has his work cut out for him to jump those players, but the opportunity is there, especially if he continues to boast highlight-reel defensive plays.

One aspect of the All-Star game is to showcase the young talent in the game. Elly De La Cruz, Paul Skenes, Heliot Ramos, and CJ Abrams are all studs for their respective teams and are growing in national recognition. It's about time Masyn Winn receives the same treatment given his output this year. An All-Star nod will help him get to that level.