The St. Louis Cardinals traded away four All-Stars this offseason and it’s going to be interesting over the next few months to see who is going to step up and fill the spaces left by Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras.
We are one month away from Opening Day and there is a lot of talent on the team to be happy about when you think about the long-term vision and direction for the organization. Arguably, this idea starts with Masyn Winn. The 23-year-old shortstop already looks like the best defensive shortstop in baseball and with a fully healthy knee should have a bigger offensive season ahead in the 2026 season as well. There’s a lot to like about him and he’s getting some buzz. On Thursday, ESPN’s David Schoenfield shared a column in which he picked “way-too-early” 2026 All-Stars. For St. Louis, Schoenfield picked Winn.
The Cardinals shortstop has a bright future
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“The problem with the NL is I ended up with nobody from the Rockies, Cardinals or Marlins in my first cut, and generously included [James Wood] as the third outfielder only to give the Nationals a representative,” Schoenfield wrote. “There’s a good chance we end up with some dubious All-Stars from those clubs. [Hunter Goodman] made it last year — and earned it, hitting 31 home runs — and is the logical choice to represent the Rockies again.
“I went with [Michael Busch] over [Freddie Freeman] and [Bryce Harper], going with the younger player. Shortstop is impossible. Never bet against Betts and I think his offense bounces back after a stomach virus sapped his strength early last year. Winn isn’t one of the top six shortstops, but he did win a Gold Glove — plus someone has to represent the Cardinals. Tatis and Carroll (assuming he’s OK after his hamate injury this spring) are easy picks as outfield backups, especially with Pete Crow-Armstrong’s slide in the second half raising questions about whether he can repeat his offensive output. We’ll see if Schwarber can repeat his monster 56-homer season.”
Winn has star-power. If he can take a step forward in 2026, this rebuild period could be quicker than expected.
