Cardinals’ Playoff Hopes Dim as Masyn Winn Faces Surgery Setback
As the curtain begins to fall on the regular season, the St. Louis Cardinals find themselves on the fringes of playoff contention. With just five games remaining, the team languishes 3 ½ games behind the final National League wild-card spot, needing to leapfrog three clubs to secure a postseason berth.
Winn’s Season Cut Short
In a further blow to the organization, the Cardinals have announced that shortstop Masyn Winn will not return to the field this year. The promising 22-year-old has been enduring a meniscus tear in his knee throughout the second half of the season and is now officially sidelined. Scheduled for arthroscopic surgery on Thursday, there is hope that he will be ready to make a full recovery in time for spring training in 2026.
Despite the injury, Winn’s performance stood out as a silver lining for the Cardinals. In just his second full season as the team’s everyday shortstop, he posted a .253 batting average, alongside nine home runs and 51 RBIs, amassing a total of 124 hits. His defensive prowess was equally impressive, earning him 22 Outs Above Average—a statistic that placed him among the elite defenders in baseball. For much of the season, he led the league in that category and continues to rank tied for second, trailing only Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals, despite missing the last two weeks.
Struggles Down the Stretch
As the season progressed, Winn’s offensive output took a noticeable hit, likely exacerbated by his ongoing injury. Over the final 30 games, he managed to bat a mere .184, contributing just two home runs and 10 RBIs. Nonetheless, his overall contributions throughout the year were significant, building on a solid sophomore campaign and reinforcing the Cardinals’ belief in his potential as a cornerstone of their franchise.
A Bright Future Ahead
Looking forward, the Cardinals are expected to embrace a youth movement as they prepare for the 2026 season. Alongside Winn, players like Ivan Herrera and Alec Burleson are anticipated to play pivotal roles in the team’s future. With 7.1 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) already to his name in his first two full-time seasons, Winn is set to be a central figure in this new wave of talent.
If all goes according to plan with his surgery and recovery, the Cardinals can look forward to a healthy and dynamic Masyn Winn leading the infield when they gather in Jupiter for spring training next February. The hope is that he will emerge not just as a player returning from injury, but as a cornerstone of a revitalized Cardinals roster.
