Masyn Winn, under the tutelage of franchise icons, is establishing himself as a key player.
Though the National League Rookie of the Year award may elude him, St. Louis Cardinals’ Masyn Winn has already secured his reputation as a cornerstone for the franchise’s future. His excellent 2024 campaign leaves little doubt that he’ll be essential in the Cardinals’ pursuit of success in the seasons to ahead.
Unlike some, Winn has had the opportunity to learn from two St. Louis baseball legends: Ozzie Smith, the renowned “Wizard of Oz,” and Jose Oquendo, the versatile infielder who won two World Series championships. Their advice is, honestly, essential for someone just starting out at this level.
Despite his own minor league experience with the Cardinals, manager Oli Marmol can only admire the big-league mentorship now available to his young player. Nobody is “The Wizard” like Marmol. He is truly one-of-one.
In a recent interview with MLB.com, Winn reminisced on his outstanding rookie season, mentioning the impact Smith and Oquendo had on him.
“I worked with Cheo [Oquendo] since I got in this organization,” stated Winn. “Throughout my Minor League career, he is the reason I’m the defender I am now. Having Ozzie around throughout the last few Spring Trainings has been fantastic for soaking up his wisdom and just being around him.”
He went on: “They gave me some other nuggets. Cheo has become more focused on the field. Whenever I worked with him in the minor leagues or during spring training, he was a huge asset on defense.”
“… I think Ozzie has been more of the cerebral side of the game, as far as how to approach being a shortstop, being “the faces of the franchise.”
Oquendo and Smith have played a total of 2,875 games at shortstop in their MLB careers. The two have finished in the top four in the National League in defensive wins above replacement 14 times, with Smith doing so in 13 seasons. Their knowledge of these types of numbers, combined with his retention of them, has played an important role in Winn’s development since his promotion to St. Louis.
Winn’s early successes give Cardinals fans a reason to believe in the future
Every year, in almost every sport, a player is often ignored. Winn is undoubtedly one of them in Major League Baseball this year.
Defensively, he leads all shortstops in runs saved this season (14), exhibiting excellent range and arm strength. At the plate, he has a batting average above.275, making him the only Cardinal with at least 100 games played to achieve that mark. Winn also has the second-highest OPS among St. Louis hitters since the All-Star break, trailing only Paul Goldschmidt.
Winn, who wore the famed No. 1 while growing up, looks like a Gold Glove shortstop, an honor Smith won 13 times in his career.
This is Winn’s first complete season in the major leagues. He is barely beginning to realize his enormous potential. With the mentoring of two franchise giants at his disposal, he is primed to make even greater progress in his development in the future.
“This is just the beginning.” “I’m a rookie, and I want to improve in every way,” Winn said.
