Apr 24, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of St. Louis Cardinals players hats and gloves in the dugout during a game with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-Imagn Images David Kohl-Imagn Images

Why Masyn Winn, Iván Herrera Made Cardinals' Season Worth It

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 11:00 AM ET

When the 2025 Major League Baseball regular season comes to an end, St. Louis Cardinals fans are going to have a lot of time on their hands before they are able to see their team back in action.

St. Louis won't be in the playoffs and then there will be a long offseason ahead which surely will impact the long-term picture for the franchise. Chaim Bloom will have that difficult job. How do you balance the present without hurting the future? Bloom will attempt to find out. Most of the noise out there has been negative for the Cardinals.

It's pretty much all about who the team should trade, but what about the exciting players the team already has? There is some serious young talent with the organization right now that can help throughout this rebuild process.

For example, FanSided's Josh Jacobs shared a column highlighting the top 10 most valuable young players in the Cardinals' organization. No. 1 prospect JJ Wetherholt unsurprisingly was at No. 1, followed by catcher/designated hitter Iván Herrera at No. 2, and shortstop Masyn Winn at No. 3.

The Cardinals have some young guys to be excited about

Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

"While Alec Burleson once again played his way into an everyday role over other young Cardinals bats, Ivan Herrera was clearly the Cardinals' best bat this year, and he's continuing to put up incredible numbers so early into his career," Jacobs said of Herrera said. "Though he missed significant time this year due to two separate injuries, Herrera still remained one of the best hitters in baseball, slashing .280/.367/.449 with 16 home runs and 58 RBI in just 418 plate appearances.

"His 132 wRC+ this year ranked tied for 26th in baseball among players with at least 400 plate appearances, a continuation of the success we saw the last few years when he was given the opportunity."

He continued about Winn.

"Dropping by one spot on my list, Masyn Winn still had a really good 2025 season, and if it wasn't for some regression with his bat down the stretch, he likely would have maintained his earlier ranking," Jacobs said. "Before being placed on the injured list so he could have season-ending knee surgery, Winn slashed .253/.310/.363 with 10 home runs and 27 doubles, and swiping nine bases. His 91 wRC+ was a big drop off from the year prior, but like Donovan, it is hard to know how much playing through his knee issues contributed to his decline at the plate."

These two guys have already found success in the big leagues and are just 25 years old (Herrera) and 23 years old (Winn). I'd argue that Winn should be No. 2 on this list, but that's one person's opinion. What really matters is that the Cardinals have found something in both Winn and Herrera that could help for years.

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

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