MLB player comparisons for 6 Cardinals' prospects

Masyn Winn: Rafael Furcal

I'll preface this with Masyn Winn but it applies to all prospects on this list, there is obviously room for them to outperform, or vastly underperform, these expectations as players. I worried less about career achievements with these player comps and focused more on the mold of players that they were. That is how I landed on Rafael Furcal for Winn.

In my opinion, I think Winn can be a better version of who Furcal was, but it's important to remember that Furcal was a very good player throughout his career. Cardinals fans will remember Furcal for his brief stint in St. Louis in the twilight of his career, but he was also a fun, toolsy shortstop like Winn for a long time.

During the first 8 years of his career, Furcal slashed .284/.349/.407 while averaging 10 HR, 50 RBI, and 31 SB each season. During that stretch, he made an All-Star team and received MVP votes in 2003 and 2006. Although he never won a Gold Glove, he had a cannon for an arm, making throws that only guys like Winn can.

Another player comparison I found very interesting but felt like too lofty of a comparison to throw out there was Barry Larkin. Larkin also had a special arm like Winn, stole a ton of bags, and eventually won an MVP as his bat continued to develop. But Larkin is a Hall of Famer, so I'd rather keep our expectations lower for Winn at this moment.