Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (0) fields a ground ball during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Masyn Winn Offensive Projections Would Be Cardinals Dream

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Mar 16, 2026 7:38 PM ET

Much has been said about St. Louis Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt, but he's not the only guy who could have a big season ahead.

The Cardinals haven't officially announced that Wetherholt will be on the Opening Day roster, but it would be much more surprising if he weren't. He's the club's No. 1 prospect and has had a big Spring Training. But let's not forget about another infielder who should have a big year ahead: Masyn Winn.

Winn, like Wetherholt, is 23 years old, but is entering his fourth big league season. In 2025, he was the best defensive shortstop in baseball. He won his first Gold Glove Award, but his offensive numbers took a bit of a step back as he dealt with a knee injury throughout the campaign. He slashed .253/.310/.363 with nine homers and 51 RBIs in 129 games played. But, again, he was the best defensive shortstop in baseball. In 2024, he slashed .267/.314/.416 with 15 homers, 57 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in 150 games played as a 4.9-WAR player.

The Cardinals have a bright future in the infield

Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Winn was very good in 2025, but there clearly is another level to his game, specifically on offense. FanGraphs' 2026 steamer projection for him would be in a step in that direction. The current projections for Winn are a .261/.320/.405 slash line with 16 homers, 68 RBIs, 78 runs scored and a 3.9 WAR.

Now, this is of course just a projection. But it does show that the perception of Winn is very high heading into the 2026 season. If Winn plays at the exact level defensively in 2026 as he did in 2025 and can reach these offensive projections, that's an All-Star-level player.

So, while Wetherholt is getting most of the buzz around camp, let's not forget about Winn as well. Wetherholt very well could be a star, but so can Winn. In a perfect world, both of these guys will be in the Cardinals' middle infield for years to come and get this club through this reset period as fast as possible. The future is bright, Cardinals fans.

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

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