Imagine transforming the everyday grind of baseball practice into a dazzling display of defensive mastery – that's the incredible journey of St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn, who's now setting his sights on boosting his batting game after locking down his glove work like a pro.
ST. LOUIS -- Masyn Winn's breakout 2025 season as the Cardinals' shortstop was nothing short of legendary. At just 23 years old, he snagged the team's first-ever Gold Glove for the youngest player in franchise history – an award that honors the best fielders in baseball, based on votes from managers, coaches, and even umpires. He pulled off this feat by committing only three errors all year, while wowing fans night after night with his smooth, effortless plays and a rocket of an arm that could zip the ball across the diamond. But to climb to these heights, Winn had to dive headfirst into the unglamorous side of the game: endless, repetitive drills that might make most players yawn.
His road to that shiny Gold Glove trophy? It was paved with routine ground-ball sessions that felt like they dragged on forever, a growing maturity in nailing those basic, no-frills plays, and a total dedication to positioning himself – in his own eyes, anyway – as the top defensive shortstop in all of Major League Baseball. For beginners dipping their toes into baseball lingo, think of these fundamentals as the building blocks: things like proper footwork, quick glove snaps, and reliable throws that don't grab headlines but win games. Sticking to this straightforward approach might seem simple, but it's a tough sell for a young star like Winn, whose flashy style – complete with diamond jewelry and a middle name of Blaze – screams excitement over routine.
"Back when I first stepped into professional baseball, all I craved were those highlight-reel moments, like the spectacular dives Derek Jeter used to make, or firing off showy throws to flex my arm," Winn shared openly. He joined an elite club as the 100th Cardinal ever to earn a Gold Glove. "But my instructor, José Oquendo, hammered home the importance of the basics, and I owe my entire defensive skill set to him right now. He stripped it all back to the essentials."
"I only made three errors this season, and the secret to that was handling every routine play perfectly, without fail. It's transformed my game for the better." And here's where it gets controversial: in an era where analytics rule and flashy stats dominate discussions, is mastering the 'boring' fundamentals undervalued, or is it the true key to sustained success? Winn's story might make you rethink that.
Winn took a massive leap forward defensively in 2025, slashing his error count from 18 the previous year down to just three – a clear sign of his growth. He's also on the mend after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to fix some meniscus damage in his right knee, a common injury for athletes involving the cartilage that cushions the joint. For context, the meniscus acts like a shock absorber in your knee, and tears can sideline even the toughest players. His season wrapped up after 129 games, cut short on September 12 due to ongoing knee discomfort. Chatting from his offseason spot in South Florida, Winn expressed optimism about getting the green light from his doctors soon, allowing him to pick up a bat again and ease back into those familiar grounder routines.
"The procedure turned out milder than we anticipated, which let us speed up the rehab timeline for a standard offseason," explained Winn, who's projected to be fully ready without restrictions by Spring Training kicking off in early February. "Things are progressing nicely. I even tried jogging for the first time this week. The workouts are brutal, but they're exactly what I need. There's a ton of leg-focused exercises – the kind no one looks forward to – but they'll build a solid foundation for grinding through a full 162-game schedule. Just a week post-surgery, I could tell the nagging pain from the season had vanished."
During 2025, Winn was a nightmare for opposing batters, scooping up both the easy grounders and the jaw-dropping gems at shortstop, baseball's most challenging infield spot due to its blend of range, quickness, and precision. When the Cardinals finally rested him because of the knee trouble, he was topping Major League Baseball in 'outs above average' – a Statcast metric that measures how many plays a fielder makes beyond what's expected, factoring in speed, angle, and reaction time – with an impressive 21. He ended up fifth overall in that stat, but he still outpaced every other National League shortstop. Those three errors? They tie the all-time low for a single season by any MLB shortstop, matching legends like Cal Ripken Jr. in 1990 and Omar Vizquel in 2000. To give you a sense of how elite that is, the American League's Gold Glove winner at shortstop, Bobby Witt Jr., racked up 10 errors that year. And this is the part most people miss: while errors get all the attention, it's the outs you prevent that truly define a defender's value.
With his defense now rock-solid and proven, Winn's offseason mission is clear: evolve into a complete shortstop by sharpening his hitting consistency. He's hunkered down at a baseball training facility alongside Cardinals teammates Jordan Walker and Iván Herrera, plus rising star prospect JJ Wetherholt. The aim? Refine his swing to build on a 2025 campaign where he hit .253 with a .310 on-base percentage and .363 slugging percentage, good for a .673 OPS (on-base plus slugging, a key stat showing a player's overall offensive contribution). He popped nine home runs and drove in 51 RBIs, but there was room to grow. His whiff rate – the percentage of swings that miss the ball entirely – sat at 19.6%, which ranks in the 79th percentile league-wide, meaning he makes solid contact often. However, his average exit velocity (how hard he hits the ball, at 88.3 mph in the 24th percentile) and hard-hit rate (34.6%, 16th percentile) suggest he wasn't generating enough power, according to data from Baseball Savant, MLB's advanced analytics tool.
"My main focus has to be elevating my offense while keeping my defense at this elite level," Winn stated. "Across the board offensively, I took a step back this year. Looking ahead, with a healthy, complete season, I want to notch a strong offensive performance to build on." For newcomers, regression in stats like this can happen due to factors like injuries or mechanical tweaks, but it's also an opportunity for targeted improvements – like adjusting his stance or timing to boost that exit velo.
As one of the five youngest shortstops ever to claim a Gold Glove in MLB history, Winn understands the pressure to repeat his magic. Veterans like ten-time Gold Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado and four-time winner first baseman Paul Goldschmidt have voiced their belief that Winn's poised to collect several more of these awards in the coming years. "Nolan's the gold standard, and 10 Gold Gloves is just insane," Winn laughed. "But if I stay committed, I could definitely grab five, six, or even seven over time."
But here's a counterpoint that might stir some debate: in today's homer-happy game, where offense often steals the spotlight, can a player like Winn truly thrive long-term if his bat doesn't catch up to his glove? Or does elite defense alone make him indispensable? What do you think – will Winn become the next multi-Gold Glove icon, or does he need to prioritize power over perfection in the field? Drop your takes in the comments and let's discuss!
