Cardinals News: Masyn Winn's National League Rookie of the Year Case

Masyn Winn is having a fantastic year this year. The St. Louis Cardinals' rookie shortstop was a highly-touted prospect last year, and he's lived up to the hype in 2024.

As we near the end of the season, speculation surrounding the end-of-the-year awards is beginning to rise. Shohei Ohtani is the frontrunner for National League Most Valuable Player, but Francisco Lindor is catching up. Chris Sale is the presumptive Cy Young Winner for the National League, but Zack Wheeler isn't too far behind. The Rookie of the Year award this year is a bit more unsettled. While the Cardinals won't have someone receive votes in the Cy Young or MVP races, they could see one of their rookies chase the Rookie of the Year Award.

The Cardinals did not have a single rookie receive votes last year, but Brendan Donovan finished third in 2022. Dylan Carlson finished third as well in 2021. The organization's last Rookie of the Year recipient was Albert Pujols in 2001. It's been quite some time since the Cardinals have seen one of their young players be recognized with this award.

For a while, Paul Skenes was projected to win the NL Rookie of the Year award. The starting pitcher has had a fantastic start to his professional career, but uncertainty surrounding his usage down the stretch could hurt his chances to win the award. Jackson Merrill of the San Diego Padres jumped Skenes just this past week according to oddsmakers.

The bulk of the National League Rookie of the Year conversations have revolved around those two players, but should Masyn Winn also be mentioned with those two stars? He has quite the strong case.

How does Masyn Winn stack up against these other National League rookies you may ask? Quite well, actually. Winn is second in fWAR behind only Jackson Merrill. He is fifth in wRC+, third in batting average, fifth in home runs, first in defensive runs saved, and fifth in outs above average. Regardless of the stat that you choose, Masyn Winn is near the top of the charts among National League Rookies.

Additionally, he's played superb defense at a premium spot. While other players like Tyler Fitzgerald (151 wRC+) and James Wood (129 wRC+) may have him beat in offensive statistics, only Jackson Merrill comes close to Winn defensively. The fact that Masyn Winn has been able to play all year -- he leads all rookies in plate appearances by 22 -- at shortstop with plus offense should alone make him a top-three candidate.

Masyn Winn likely won't win the National League Rookie of the Year award, but he's made a strong case to be in the top three this year. He's been one of the team's most consistent players all year, and his efforts should be recognized by voters this year.