6 Cardinals who should be regulars down the stretch

SS Masyn Winn

Masyn Winn is slowly vaulting himself into Rookie of the Year conversations. Oddsmakers would disagree, but he's been one of the three or four best rookies in the National League all year with Jackson Merrill, Paul Skenes, and Shota Imanaga. After a brief showing last year, Winn has made the best of his chances here in 2024.

Winn's calling card across the minors was his glove and his arm; he was frequently touted as the best defensive shortstop among all prospects in his class, and he's proven that. He currently ranks 11th in all of baseball according to defensive runs saved, and he's tied with Brayan Rocchio of the Cleveland Guardians among all shortstops.

Offensively, Winn has proven more than capable of holding his own at the plate. He is slashing .274/.324/.419 on the year with a 106 OPS+. Winn's 11 home runs are a pleasant surprise, and he has 10 steals to go along with it in 114 games and 430 at-bats. He's striking out at a rate better than league average, and he's not whiffing at pitches (85th percentile whiff rate). Winn is also a bit split-proof, as he has a .729 OPS against right-handed pitchers and a .791 OPS against left-handed pitchers.

While one would like to see a touch more power, particularly doubles, from Winn, these offensive numbers are great for a player with his defensive profile.

Winn has tapped into some power in August, as he has a .531 slugging percentage in the month. His batting average has dropped each month, but his power output in August has been promising. He has four home runs this month alone, and he's walked as many times as he's struck out. If he continues this pace this month, there's no reason to take him out of the lineup barring a necessary day for injury rest here and there.

Masyn Winn's defense and revamped offensive profile this month should make him a mainstay down the stretch this year for the Cardinals.