Former manager finally recognizes Cardinals rookie as a cornerstone player

With the 2024 season coming to a close, discussions surrounding the end-of-the-year awards have begun developing. One race that interests Cardinal fans specifically would be the National League Rookie of the Year award.

Players like Paul Skenes, Jackson Merrill, Jackson Chourio, and Shota Imanaga have been headliners all year, but there's been one player who has largely flown under the radar: Masyn Winn.

Through 129 games, Masyn Winn has a .281/.329/.420 slash line with 12 home runs, 10 stolen bases, and a 107 OPS+. His 4.7 bWAR total is tied for first with Paul Skenes among all rookies in baseball. He has been steady all year, and it's taken up until now for any national media member to truly recognize Winn's accomplishments as a rookie this year.

Former manager Buck Showalter chose Winn as the one rookie between Skenes, Merrill, Chourio, and Imanaga whom he would want to start his franchise with on MLB Network.

I'm taking Masyn Winn. This is not clear cut, I would love to have any of them. He just made his 12th error. They're gonna go down. (He's a) plus runner. This kid's special. Long-term, I'm taking the shortstop.

The class for National League Rookie of the Year is quite stacked. Any one of these players would have an argument to win it every year, and host Greg Amsinger and Showalter make that point clear, but this is the first time that a national media member has chosen Masyn Winn to be the best rookie of the bunch.

Keep in mind, Showalter didn't necessarily admit that he would pick Masyn Winn as this year's rookie of the year, but his defense of the stud shortstop is music to the ears of Cardinal fans.

It isn't likely Winn takes home this year's award, but his continual snubbing among national pundits isn't indicative of the season he's having. Winn has been exceptional defensively while also providing plus offense at a premium position. That's not the type of player that comes around often.

What Masyn Winn is doing this year shouldn't be overshadowed by the successes of players like Paul Skenes and Jackson Merrill. Rather, these three should collectively be talked about as one of the most potent rookie classes in recent memory for the National League.