JUPITER, Fla. -- When shortstop Masyn Winn made his Major League debut on Aug. 8, 2023, the Cardinals were loaded with seasoned veterans such as Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras.
Winn learned a lot from those ballplayers, especially Arenado, who taught him how to be a professional and the nuances of playing great defense. It paid off because Winn won his first Gold Glove last season.
“Just playing alongside [Arenado] the last couple of years, I learned a lot defensively and off the field,” Winn said. “I learned how to work. He won 10 Gold Gloves. Working with him everyday on defense showed me a lot as far as work ethic goes.”
Fast forward to Monday. The Cardinals are a lot younger because Chaim Bloom, the president of Baseball Operations, traded away Arenado, Contreras and Brendan Donovan this offseason. For example, once St. Louis dealt Donovan to the Mariners, it left an opening for JJ Wetherholt -- No. 5 prospect according to MLB Pipeline -- to become the Opening Day second baseman.
It also means that Winn, 24, is suddenly one of the leaders on the club, and teammates like Wetherholt have already gravitated to him.
“I want to see how he goes about his work and hear the things that he says because he has been here,” Wetherholt said. “He has put up some great production on this team. He won a Gold Glove. I will try to follow after him. He takes everything seriously, especially with the glove. It’s good to see how effortless he plays. When he plays shortstop, it's fun to watch.”
The Cardinals may be rebuilding, but Winn expects them to win more than they lose in ‘26.
“I feel good about this team. We have a lot of young energy,” Winn believes. “It’s weird. The ceiling on this team is pretty incredible. If we could reach those standards, we are going to be pretty damn good for years to come. It’s not a bunch of power. It’s a lot of grinders, a lot of hitters. I think we are going to produce some runs. Obviously, defense is what the Cardinals are known for. We are going to go out there and do our thing defensively.”
While he is gung ho to help make the Cardinals better, Winn wants to get his groove back in the batter’s box. His numbers were down from the previous season. It didn’t help that Winn dealt with a torn meniscus in his right knee, which ended his season in early September.
Winn is healthy now -- although he didn’t play in Monday’s game against the Marlins because of general arm soreness -- and he plans to be more consistent at the plate by using the entire field. According to Baseball Savant, the majority of Winn’s hits were from the pull side. He is looking to hit 15-to-25 homers and steal a lot of bases this season. For now, Winn is projected to be the club’s leadoff hitter.
“Last year, the average was down, the home runs were down. Steals were down -- so just really the entire offensive side and I think I can improve on it,” he insisted. “In 2024, I battled my ass off with two strikes and became a pesky at-bat for pitchers. That needs to be my job this year, just going up there, having a good battle and making as much contact as possible.”
Life off the field is expected to be even better. Last November, Winn announced on Instagram his engagement to Gianna Pettus. The wedding date has not been set. Since the first time they met, Winn knew that Pettus would be his lifetime partner. When he goes hitless in a game, he is able to flush it out because of Pettus.
“She has been everything. I proposed pretty quick,” he proudly said. “I go 0-for-4 and it sucks, but I get to come home to her. It makes it a little bit easier, but she helps me everyday. She put a smile on my face.”