Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Cardinals Struck Gold; Found St. Louis' Next Biggest Star

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have surprised people left and right this season.

St. Louis may not make the playoffs this year, but there has been bright spots up and down the roster. For the Cardinals, one guy who has continued to be a breath of fresh air is young shortstop Masyn Winn.

He's just 23 years old and should be the favorite to win the National League Gold Glove Award this upcoming offseason. Winn has been arguably the best overall defensive player in baseball this season.

Throughout the season, a lot of the buzz has been about phenom JJ Wetherholt. Not too long ago, that was Winn being discussed. He's developed into a potential star for the team and Brendan Donovan certainly sounds excited, per MLB.com's John Denton.

Cardinals phenom not named JJ Wetherholt has turned heads

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

“He’s one of the best defenders I have ever seen in my life,” Donovan said. “You can talk about the arm strength, the accuracy of his throws, the carry on his throws, the mental clock in his head, the instincts, the awareness to read swings and be in the right spots, the aggressiveness -- his ability to do everything at a high level is incredibly impressive...I’m serious, he’s the best defender I’ve ever seen … and he’s only getting better.”

This is coming from someone who has won a Gold Glove Award already and was an All-Star this season. If Donovan thinks this kid is good, there's not much else you could ask for.

Manager Oli Marmol also got in the mix and praised Winn.

“Usually when you have the range and arm and you get to what he gets to, it comes with a lot of errors,” Marmol said. “Not because you’re not a good defender, but because you do things others can’t, and it leads to a throw getting away. The fact that he gets to more than anybody and he’s still securing the baseball, it’s highly impressive.”

The Cardinals have looked better than expected in the second half of the season after the trade deadline. They're fortunate to have Winn in the picture for years to come.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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