Heading into this offseason, I put a very low number on the odds that the St. Louis Cardinals would deal Willson Contreras as I saw him to be an important transition piece in the first year of the true rebuild. While Brendan Donovan is commonly referred to as a “good clubhouse guy”, Contreras felt more like the emotional leader on the field, playing with an energy not usually seen in St. Louis.

His trade to Boston created not only a void at first base that is now filled by my well-timed article subject Alec Burleson, but may have left that clubhouse fire smoldering. At multiple points last year, Contreras stood up for pitchers that did not do the same for him. Even in a losing season, he continued to put his body in harm’s way, learn a new position, and be a voice for the roster. Now, the Cardinals may end up feeling his departure in more ways than just on the stat sheet. The average age of the major league squad sits at 26.3 years old, according to ESPN, and that is with Nolan Arenado and Donovan bringing that up a tick. While the intangible leadership from Donnie will be missed if/when he is dealt, the Cardinals are also in need of some media-worthy personalities. In what figures to be a painful year in 2026, I am hopeful to at least be given a reason to tune in to every game. This is where I see Masyn Winn becoming even more important to the future of the St. Louis Cardinals.

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Masyn Winn needs to be the Face of the Franchise on and off the field

At the start of last season, I was appalled that Winn was left off of MLB Network’s Top 10 Shortstops Right Now list. That may have been overzealous on my part, but I do feel that he deserves at least an honorable mention going into 2026. The former top-50 prospect worked his way quickly through the minor leagues, putting up a .790 OPS with 92 stolen bases through four season. As a prospect, Winn profiled as an above-average hitter with solid power, especially for a middle infielder, and 60-grade speed. He showed off those skills in 2022 with a .283 batting average, 12 homers, and 43 stolen bases as a 20-year-old who spent most of the year in Double-A. The following season, Winn got his call to the bigs after improving to a .288 average and 15 homers, but struggled in his small sample. Despite his rough debut, the cup of coffee seemed to help leading into his rookie campaign. With 15 homers and 11 stolen bases as a 22-year-old playing shortstop everyday in 2024, my excitement level grew for Winn, putting yearly 20/20 expectations on him.

In 2025, though, Winn played his way through multiple injuries before eventually shutting down his season after 129 games and a 91 wRC+, failing to build on his first year. The maladies had to play a role in his offense and Winn is now rehabbing a meniscus surgery, but his defense was spectacular en route to his first Gold Glove award. He is expecting a normal offseason ramp up into Spring Training, which again has me putting those benchmark expectations on the shortstop.

To me, Masyn Winn has the makings of a superstar in the MLB. He has garnered national attention with his glove, showcasing extreme athleticism up the middle and a cannon for a right arm. With one Gold Glove already, it can be reasonably predicted that Winn will add a couple more trophies to his mantle, assuming he continues to make highlight-reel plays to go along with his steady hands at short. What needs to come next, though, is that offensive step forward that I still see happening. Going against Winn, to a point, is his ability to hit basically anywhere in the lineup, but he has had the most success so far hitting in the lower-third of the order. The current Cardinals nine is void of firepower, which could hinder his chances of run production, but that also provides him the opportunity to be a spark in the lineup.

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The spark I refer to now goes beyond the batting order and brings me to my main point that Masyn Winn can and should become the Face of the Franchise for the Cardinals. With the flashy jewelry, the jaw-dropping plays, and even the FredBird sliding mitt, Winn has what it takes to bring fan excitement to Busch Stadium in times when the on-field product may be slacking. With the direction the major league roster is heading, getting fans to pay for tickets and trek to the stadium is going to be a tough ask for the Cardinals, but finding a way to market your future is one way to move forward.

Where I received some push back with this initial thought was that Winn does not produce like an MVP and therefore cannot/should not be the face. What I had to clarify, then, was how my view of the main character of an organization was that he is the most marketable, which does not always mean best. In Winn’s case, though, I can see him becoming the best player and the player who becomes synonymous with this era’s St. Louis Cardinals. He is in a good spot to take St. Louis by storm while being on a team surrounded by other youngsters. With teammates like rapper Argo/Victor Scott II, vibes-guy Lars Nootbaar, and future rotation psychopath in Liam Doyle, Winn can become the player who is front and center of all team media.

Assuming Donnie and Nado are dealt, Masyn Winn will only be behind Lars Nootbaar, Nolan Gorman, and Alec Burleson in terms of MLB service time, and he is less than 500 at-bats behind each of those players. From that quartet of veterans, Winn, to me, has the most name value and national recognition potential. Most of the national attention last year came from the lack of attendance at home games, and that terrifying trend could easily continue into 2026 with another losing season seemingly on tap. I do not blame fans whatsoever for refusing to spend their money on overpriced tickets for a below-average product, and the Cardinals need to find a way beyond stadium giveaways to get butts into seats.

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With the major league team likely struggling for the foreseeable future, the Cardinals marketing team is going to have their work cut out for them to make St. Louis seem like an attractive destination for fans and players alike. Where they should start, in my opinion, is with shortstop Masyn Winn. He has the talent, he has the flare, he has the “aura”.