Masyn Winn is guzzling his way into the hearts of local Cardinals fans

St. Louis is not a hotbed for transplants. If you live around St. Louis, there's a decent chance that you grew up in the area. Because of this, loyalty runs deep for products manufactured here, and locals are swooning over the revelation that St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn slakes his thirst with the city's own Fitz's cream soda prior to games.

The soda appears to be propelling Winn to an exceptional season. Long deemed a whiz with his glove and out-of-this-world throwing arm, Winn has exceeded expectations at the plate, hitting .287 with a 112 OPS+ to this point in the season. Although Winn is a long shot to win Rookie of the Year given the presence of Jackson Merrill and Paul Skenes in the National League, if he can continue this type of production in the coming years, he could provide the Cardinals with their first homegrown star shortstop in decades.

The Cardinals haven't had a franchise icon in several years. Paul Goldschmidt won the MVP award in 2022, and Nolan Arenado was in that conversation as well, but the fact that they weren't drafted and developed by the Cardinals has prevented them from being seen in the upper echelon of St. Louis sports figures. Yadier Molina may have been the last Cardinal to reach the pinnacle of stardom in the Gateway City, but Winn has a chance to end that drought.

The Cardinals desperately need to attract fans to Busch Stadium again, as people continue to spurn the team. A recent series against the Los Angeles Dodgers saw the Cardinals stoop to a new low in an attempt to lure people to the ballpark by promoting opposing players. Winn might be able to put a stop to that and become the Cardinals' marquee attraction with his performance and his personality.

Fitz's could be the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship between Winn and St. Louis, as other city staples such as Imo's Pizza and Ted Drewes Frozen Custard could be lining up to secure Winn's promotional services. If Winn continues to dazzle fans with his play on the field, the Cardinals and St. Louis will finally have another icon whom they can be proud to call their own.