4 Cardinals who could be featured in the revamped Backyard Baseball game

As someone who grew up in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I have very fond memories of sitting at the family computer -- in the living room, of course -- and playing computer games with my siblings and cousins. We dabbled in games like Rollercoaster Tycoon, Cyberchase, or Math Blaster!, but the most popular game amongst us children was Backyard Baseball.

For years, the game has sat in video game purgatory; it hasn't had a new version released in nearly 10 years. However, the game that featured fictional characters playing baseball in some of the most unique stadiums known to man is getting a reboot.

Several outlets have reported that Playground Productions, the company that holds IP rights to Backyard Sports, is reviving the beloved game "in the coming months". To tantalize fans of the game even more, the Backyard Sports Twitter/X page released a teaser trailer with some favorites featured in it.

Fictional characters such as Pete Wheeler, Stephanie Morgan, and Pablo Sanchez were on full display in the trailer. Nostalgia ran high throughout social media. Fans displayed a great amount of excitement upon hearing that the historic game would be rebooted.

While few details surrounding the game have been released, it's been assumed that classic players will return in the rebooted version of the game. Players like Pablo Sanches, Pete Wheeler, Stephanie Morgan, Keisha Phillips, Achmed Khan, Mikey Thomas, and Ernie Still will return, but Playground Productions could up the ante even more.

The 2001 version of the game featured real Major League Baseball players from that era. One player from each MLB team was chosen to be a player in the game. Players like Randy Johnson, Chipper Jones, Frank Thomas, Ken Griffey Jr., and Barry Bonds were in the game. The 2003 version of the game featured a very young Albert Pujols in left field to represent the St. Louis Cardinals.

This got me thinking: which current Cardinal players could make the cut for the rebooted version of Backyard Baseball? Despite the organization seeing a downturn these past two years, the Cardinals still have a handful of players who would be exciting to see represent the organization in the game.

These four current Cardinals could join the Backyard Baseball player collection when the game is rebooted.

Ryan Helsley

Ryan Helsley has been with the St. Louis Cardinals since he was drafted by the team in 2015 in the fifth round. Helsley came up in the system as a starting pitcher, but he was transitioned into a relief role in 2019. Since then, Helsley has become one of baseball's best relievers.

He's synonymous with the St. Louis organization, as he's been in the majors since 2019. Him representing the team in the video game would be quite fitting, as he's one of the longest-tenured players currently on the roster.

He features a fastball that tops out at 102 MPH, and his slider is one of the best pitches in all of baseball. According to Baseball Savant's run value, Helsley's slider has a nine value, one of the best in baseball this year. He also leads the league in saves with 38 on the season.

Ryan Helsley may not be the most well-known Cardinal this year, but his pitching stats would be off the charts if he became a video game character. His pitches often feel unreal, and it would be fantastic to see how he could take advantage of the wackiness that is Backyard Baseball.

Historically, Backyard Baseball has shied away from using relievers in the game, as Randy Johnson was the only pitcher in the game in 2001. Therefore, having Ryan Helsley tabbed as the Cardinals' lone representative in the game feels like a longshot. It would be awesome to see Helsley's fastball and slider translate to the game. The "fireball" power-up would pair very well with Helsley.

Nolan Arenado

Nolan Arenado has been one of baseball's most recognizable players since he debuted in 2013. Arenado has been able to pair his excellent defense with a power profile that is tantalizing, and he's been regarded handsomely throughout his career for his efforts on the field.

Arenado has 10 Gold Glove Awards, eight All-Star Game nominations, five Silver Slugger Awards, and he's a six-time Platinum Glove winner. Arenado's trophy case is filled to the brim, and his presence in Backyard Baseball feels quite logical given his illustrious career up to this point. Arenado is close to one of the best years of his career in 2022, so he's not a stretch by any means to be included in the game.

Arenado's power rankings in the game would be high, and his defense would have to be among the best among all players represented in Backyard Baseball's reboot. Arenado is in his fourth year with St. Louis, and he's going to be with the team for several more years barring a trade. He's slowly becoming a true Cardinal despite playing in Colorado for eight years.

Nolan Arenado has been in a slump for two years now, so Playground Productions would be using him at a low point in his career. However, Arenado remains one of the game's most popular players who is also respected by his peers. His jersey was the 11th-most purchased jersey in baseball at this year's All-Star break, so his popularity remains high among fans as well.

Arenado representing the Cardinals in the Backyard Baseball reboot would be fitting.

Masyn Winn

Masyn Winn would be my choice to represent the Cardinals in the newest version of Backyard Baseball. He's young, he's recognizable, he's talented, and his plus tools would fit quite well in a video game. In fact, Winn has made unrealistic plays all year as a rookie shortstop.

Winn is essentially already a video game character. His metrics are off the charts defensively. Winn's arm strength ranks in the 96th percentile in baseball, and he's in the 82nd percentile according to Outs Above Average. Winn also boasts plus-plus speed, as his sprint speed of 28.8 miles per hour is in the 87th percentile.

The rookie shortstop would fit right in with other noteworthy Backyard Baseball characters. He would be able to run circles around the defense on the base paths, make ridiculous defensive plays, and whip the ball to first base from across the diamond with ease. While he's slightly above average offensively, Winn's defense and speed would make him an easy choice to play within the game.

Winn was drafted by the Cardinals in 2020, and he made his debut just last year. Despite not being projected in the top three rookies to win National League Rookie of the Year, Winn's star is growing with each spectacular play he makes. Being chosen to represent the Cardinals in the historic video game would be quite fitting for a player who figures to be the face of the franchise for the foreseeable future. Winn makes the most sense among these players to represent the organization in the Backyard Baseball reboot.