JUPITER, Fla. — Even after reaching a career high in home runs with 12 this past minor league season, Cardinals shortstop prospect Masyn Winn isn’t looking to continue a trend that hadn't been a part of his minor-league career prior to the 2022 season.
He’s looking for the opposite.
“I think this year, I'm really just going to try to get on bases, use my speed to score for the Jordan (Walkers) and the Luken Bakers of the world,” Winn said after going two-for-two with two singles and an RBI in his Grapefruit League debut on Sunday against Miami.
“Just exactly what I did today," he added.
Winn, 20, entered Sunday’s 8-2 Cardinals win at Roger Dean Stadium in the bottom of the fourth inning as a defensive replacement at shortstop for Tommy Edman. Facing lefties in both at-bats, Winn went two-for-two with an RBI that came on an opposite-field line drive flared over the second baseman’s head and into shallow right field.
“I don't really care about exit velos. I'm just trying to get on base for my guys to hit me in,” Winn said.
Prior to Sunday, Winn did not know if he would receive playing time in a live game. He had a lighter workload the last two days entering Sunday because of back spasms that stemmed from taking live batting practice against Matthew Liberatore and Freddy Pacheco around the start of spring camp.
Those problems have since cleared, he says, adding that he feels “fantastic right now.”
The Grapefruit League debut comes as Winn is in his first big-league camp. The 2020 second-round pick is a non-roster invitee after he spent the past season in Class High-A and Class AA. He hit .283 with an .832 OPS for the year. The leap from Class High-A to Class AA last May forced adjustments to the higher quality of pitching and a different approach as he went from batting .349 with one home run in 33 High-A games to .258 with 11 home runs in 86 Class AA games.
His goal this spring is to “get right” and back to what led to the success in High-A.
“Towards the end of the year we had some meetings with our manager and hitting coach just to kind of let me know, 'Hey you were doing this well at the beginning of the year. You got to cut back on this now,'" Winn said. "I think (manager Jose) Leger and (former hitting coach) Tyger Peterson, I think they helped me a lot just as far as approach and I took that to the (Arizona) Fall League and then I tried to take it through the offseason to now.”
Getting right this spring isn't limited to what he does with his bat. The same could be said for Winn and his glove.
A year ago, the prospect who registered a 100.5 mph throw from shortstop to first base during the 2022 All-Star Futures Game focused on not always throwing as hard as he could to first base. This year, he is focusing on slowing down his body to avoid rushing throws when it isn’t necessary.
That progress has come with the company around him. Earlier this spring, Winn met defensive wizard and Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith and worked with Cardinals minor league infield instructor and defensive guru Jose Oquendo.
The time working with Oquendo at the Cardinals complex in Jupiter, Fla., has been invaluable, the 20-year-old said.
“I can't ask for anything more. If I'm going to try to get better on defense, there's nobody I'd rather go to Cheo,” Winn said of Oquendo. “Ozzie came in the other day, gave me a few pointers, and kind of just piggybacked on what Cheo says all the time. They work together. Dynamic duo. To listen to them both was amazing.
“Cheo, that's my guy. Like yesterday, I was struggling a little bit on defense and I texted him and I said, 'Hey, can I get in there with you today?' He set across like 15 minutes just for me and me and (Jeremy) Revis and we just sat there and (he) just peppered (grounders) at me. I think having him is huge for me.”
As Cardinals like Edman leave camp to play in the World Baseball Classic, opportunities will open for other players to get playing time. Winn could receive more innings at shortstop and more at-bats in the Grapefruit League.
But while others look to capitalize on the extra opportunities to make a push for inclusion on the Cardinals’ opening day roster, Winn is staying patient with his arrival to the majors.
This spring is about soaking in what’s around him.
“It's really just for me a learning experience,” Winn said. “I'm obviously trying to go out there and compete and play well. But I think right now, maturity is something that these guys have a little bit more of compared to maybe the Double-A level even Triple-A level. To see how they go about their business and how they act like a professional. I think that's going to be huge for me this year.”
