Ranking the ceilings of the St. Louis Cardinals' middle infielders

The Cardinals have so much young talent in their middle infield, but who has the highest ceiling?

This time last year, the St. Louis Cardinals were looking at a lot of question marks regarding their middle infield. Paul DeJong's fall from grace was apparent, and some were even questioning Tommy Edman's ability to be an everyday player. Nolan Gorman boasted a ton of potential, but it had yet to be seen at the big-league level. Heck, who can forget about Edmundo Sosa?

As we sit today, the Cardinals are not only in a much different position regarding that middle infield, but now you could call that position group an area of strength. While I and many others have at various points advocated for the signing of one of the superstar shortstops available the last two offseasons, the Cardinals continued to trust in their up-and-coming talent to fill the gaps. So far, it looks like that bet is paying off for St. Louis.

Edman established himself as a top-ten shortstop in baseball last season, becoming an above-league-average hitter at the plate and pairing that with elite speed and defense. Gorman flashed some of that game-changing power during his rookie season and has shown strides defensively this spring. Masyn Winn, who has been widely expected to be a year or so away from the big leagues, looks to have matured at the plate and is impressing manager Oli Marmol. And no one can forget about the breakout prospect of 2022, Brendan Donovan.

I've had this conversation before with the young outfield the Cardinals' have, but it's worth breaking down the ceilings of the Cardinals' infield options, specifically Edman, Gorman, Winn, and Donovan. I'm sure there will be a ton of debate about this list, but this is how I would rank the ceilings of each player.

#4 - Brendan Donovan

Honestly, I spent way too much time processing who would be at the bottom of this list. All four of these guys have high ceilings, and Brendan Donovan may be the surest bet out of all of them to continue to be an impactful player for years to come.

When I think of each of their "ceilings" though, Donovan is the guy that I think may already be at his, and that is not a bad thing at all. Donovan, right now, is someone who can bat at the top of a championship lineup and play all over the diamond. If he puts together another season as he did in 2022, and adds even a little bit of pop that he's flashed so far this spring, he'll grow even more in his value to teams around the league.

I can see why the Cardinals were more willing to part with names like Gorman and Dylan Carlson this offseason than someone like Donovan. Having this kind of player under team control for the next five years is insane value, and the certainty he already brings to this club cannot be measured.

Finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting and winning the utility Gold Glove last season, Donovan can provide the Cardinals with a .400 OBP guy with 10-12 HR power and 30+ doubles a year, all while being able to slot at pretty much any position around the diamond. Donovan might now be elite defensively at any of them, but that flexibility is desired by every team in today's game.

If this were a list of the most valuable Cardinals middle infielders, something I may have to rank at a later point, I bet Donovan would be at the top of the list. But when it comes to ceilings, I think the other three names on this list have a slight edge on him.

#2 - Nolan Gorman

While he may not be as exciting to some fans as he was coming into 2022, Nolan Gorman still has immense potential at the plate, something that could transform this Cardinals' lineup even more if he is able to continue to tap into that power.

After hitting 30 home runs last year (14 in St. Louis and 16 in Memphis), Gorman used this offseason to work on the two things that will hold him back the most from realizing his potential - strikeouts and his defensive ability. Gorman has the ability to be a 40 HR guy at second base and DH for the Cardinals and should be able to do so at a good enough average/on-base percentage to profile as a middle-of-the-order bat. Left-handed power like that carries so much value in today's game, which is why his ceiling is so high.

Early on in camp, Gorman has shown improvements at the plate, but maybe more surprising and encouraging are the strides that he has made defensively.

If Gorman can even be an average defensive second baseman, that kind of bat at second base is deadly. While I love the style of play that both Donovan and Edman bring to this Cardinals' club, left-handed sluggers will always be one of the most valuable kinds of players there are. Gorman is just 23 and has 283 career at-bats, so jumping off him this early would be a huge mistake.

I am excited to see what Gorman can bring to the table this year. If his bat truly is ready to break out this season, Gorman may find himself at the top of this list whenever we revisit it.

#1 - Masyn Winn

Coming into Spring Training, I was excited to see what tools Masyn Winn would flash but fully expected him to look overmatched by the pitching and learn some things about himself as he looks to develop down in Triple-A Memphis. Little did I know, Winn would show that he may actually be ready to play in St. Louis, sooner rather than later.

Over the six games he has played thus far, Winn is slashing .400/.471/.600 with 1 HR, 2 RBI, and 2 SB while showing off his elite defensive skills. We have known for a while now that Winn has an elite arm, consistently setting records and feats with each throw he makes from shortstop. The question for Winn has always been whether or not his bat would show up, and to this point, he has far exceeded any expectations I had of him.

Winn has the ability to be a highlight-reel player in every phase of his game. His ceiling is the kind of player who makes web gem worthy plays every week, steals based with the best in the league (he stole 43 last season), and is a very productive hitter at the plate. He doesn't have the raw power of a Gorman or Jordan Walker, but I would not be surprised to see him hit 15-20 HRs in any given season, be toward the top of baseball in doubles, and be an All-Star player at the plate as well as the field if that ceiling is met.

Winn, along with Gorman, are the two riskiest players in this group as well. But we have to remember that he is just 20 years old. Players at his age are not supposed to be knocking on the door of the big leagues while flashing elite tools and already showing the ability to produce. The fact that Winn is doing that, and doesn't seem phased by any of the pressure shows that he has the chops to be an elite player in today's game.

The question with Winn, like all exciting prospects, is whether or not he can continue on that trajectory over the coming years. If he continues to pass each test that comes his way, the league better be on notice.