Lars Nootbaar Set To Hit Leadoff, Masyn Winn Ninth On Opening Day
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is starting in left field and batting leadoff for Monday's exhibition game against Triple-A Memphis, with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold noting that it's the same lineup that manager Oliver Marmol plans to use on Opening Day this Thursday against the Minnesota Twins. Meanwhile, shortstop Masyn Winn is hitting ninth for the Red Birds. Although this setup could change eventually and is likely to be different against a left-hander, Winn's short-term fantasy upside will suffer after he hit just .080 (4-for-50) with no homers an RBI, two steals and 16 strikeouts in 55 plate appearances over 17 Grapefruit League games this spring. Nootbaar, meanwhile, hit .268 (11-for-41) with a homer, seven RBI and one steal in 18 games. The 27-year-old left-handed hitter could be a nice asset for on-base percentage in deep-mixed leagues as outfield depth.
Masyn Winn Returns To The Starting Lineup On Friday
St. Louis Cardinals young shortstop Masyn Winn (wrist) is back in the starting lineup Friday after he had missed the previous two games earlier in the week. He will be batting leadoff, where he expects to be at the start of the regular season. During the 2024 season, Winn had a phenomenal rookie campaign, as he held a .267/.314/.416 slash line with 15 home runs, 85 runs scored, 57 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in his first full season in the big leagues. Fantasy managers should be encouraged to see the young star back in the lineup today, as Opening Day is less than a week away. Hopefully, Winn can work off some of the early season struggles, as he is currently batting .098 in 45 plate appearances.
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that shortstop Masyn Winn (wrist) will take several at-bats on a back field on Wednesday in live batting practice. The hope is that Winn will return to Grapefruit League action on Friday when the team has two split-squad games. The Cardinals scratched the 22-year-old from the starting lineup on Tuesday due to right-wrist soreness, but it sounds like it's nothing serious or anything that will keep him from playing next Thursday on Opening Day. However, the wrist issue combined with his performance in spring training -- he's gone just 4-for-41 with 12 strikeouts and three walks -- may have fantasy managers wondering if he'll get off to a slow start when the games count. Winn was impressive in his first full year as the starting shortstop in 2024, posting a .730 OPS with 15 homers and 11 steals in 150 games.
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (wrist) was scratched from Tuesday's lineup due to wrist soreness. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during the week in case this injury starts to linger. However, for now, fantasy managers should view him as day-to-day. Jose Barrero will take his spot in the starting nine. Winn is expected to be St. Louis' primary shortstop during the 2025 campaign. The 22-year-old logged a career-high 150 contests during the 2024 season. During this stretch, Winn held a .261/.314/.416 slash line with 32 doubles and 15 home runs. Winn swiped 11 bags but placed in the 87th percentile in sprint speed, which suggests he could see some positive regression in this output. He also generated a .256 xBA, which was above the average mark. Winn is an intriguing middle infield option in standard leagues, given his ability to contribute to all five standard categories.
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn is in the leadoff spot on Saturday afternoon when the Cardinals face the Miami Marlins. There are several full-time players in the St. Louis lineup this afternoon, which suggests Winn may be viewed as the leadoff bat in the early part of the season. Last summer, Winn spent most of his time in the leadoff spot but was occasionally deployed in the bottom half of the starting lineup. When batting first, the 22-year-old posted a .248/.390/.402 line with 13 home runs and a 26:84 BB:K ratio. Across 150 total games, the infielder held a .267/.314/.416 line with 15 home runs and 11 stolen bases. While he struggled to generate consistent power, he flashed elite speed as he placed in the 87th percentile in sprint speed. If Winn continues to be put in the leadoff spot, fantasy managers could expect him to be more willing to be active on the basepaths and consistently contribute to scoring runs.
Masyn Winn Improving His Speed, Wants To Steal 30-40 Bases
MLB.com's John Denton reports that St. Louis Cardinals rising shortstop Masyn Winn has spent the bulk of his offseason training in Jupiter, Fla., to improve his speed and has been working with a track coach again. "I didn't take as many bags as I wanted last year. I want to take 30-to-40 (stolen bases), if possible," Winn said. In his first full season as the starting shortstop in St. Louis, Winn hit .267/.314/.416 with 15 home runs, 57 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 85 runs scored in 637 plate appearances and 150 games. The 22-year-old is one of the faster players in MLB and was a perennial 30-plus-steal guy in the minor leagues, so expecting more thefts moving forward is a good bet as he gets settled into the big leagues. Winn isn't a lock to be the team's leadoff hitter in 2025, but his increase in power was a good sign in the second half last year. As of right now, RotoBaller has Winn ranked as the No. 165 overall fantasy player.
Cardinals Have Not Had Concrete Conversations Regarding Masyn Winn's Extension
According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, the St. Louis Cardinals have not had "concrete conversations" regarding shortstop Masyn Winn's potential contract extension. Woo noted that since the team's current plan is trying to bolster a youth movement, locking up Winn for the long-term would be a great way to build upon that idea. Earlier this offseason, the Cardinals opted to let first baseman Paul Goldschmidt walk in free agency and the team has had several trade discussions around third baseman Nolan Arenado. After having an underwhelming major league debut in 2023, Winn took a significant step forward in 2024 holding a strong .267/.314/.416 line with 15 home runs and a 11 stolen bases. He showed a strong eye at the plate by only striking out 17.1% of the time. Winn will likely be penciled in as the leadoff hitter in St. Louis and carries a solid power and speed combination and is worth a look later in drafts this offseason.
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (hand) had surgery to remove a cyst from his hand at the end of the 2024 regular season at the end of September, and it isn't expected to impact his offseason training. Winn is heading into his third MLB season in 2025 after slashing .267/.314/.416 with a .730 OPS, 15 home runs, 57 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 85 runs scored in 637 plate appearances over 150 games played in his first full big-league campaign. The 22-year-old is the future at the position in St. Louis and is a superior athlete with strong bat-to-ball contact skills and a strong arm at shortstop. Winn has superior bat speed as well, but so far early in his career it hasn't led to a ton of power. As he matures, hopefully Winn can provide more power and speed for fantasy managers as he heads into his second full season in MLB.
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn is taking the day off on Tuesday at Busch Stadium against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds. In his place, rookie infielder Thomas Saggese will make his MLB debut at shortstop and bat seventh against Reds rookie right-hander Rhett Lowder. Second baseman Brendan Donovan is also hitting in Winn's typical leadoff spot for the Cardinals. This will be Winn's first day off since Aug. 12. It seems like the right time to give him a breather after starting the month of September going 4-for-32 (.125) with two RBI and nine strikeouts in seven games played. Winn has had a productive first year as the everyday shortstop in St. Louis, slashing .273/.320/.408 with a .728 OPS, 12 homers, 49 RBI and 10 steals in 134 games. Donovan has been swinging a hot bat so far in September and deserves a look as a DFS sleeper out of the leadoff spot against a rookie hurler.
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (illness) is back at shortstop and is hitting leadoff for the Cardinals in Monday's series opener against the hosting division-rival Cincinnati Reds and left-hander Andrew Abbott. After an off day on Sunday, Winn will return to action to begin the new week after he was held out of Saturday's game against the Kansas City Royals due to an illness. Fantasy managers will want to return Winn to all starting lineups for the start of a new week. In his first full season as St. Louis' starting shortstop, the 22-year-old has been great, slashing .279/.330/.416 with a .745 OPS, nine home runs, 41 RBI, 10 stolen bases and 55 runs scored in 109 games played. In five career at-bats against Abbott, Winn is hitting .200 with an RBI.
Masyn Winn
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Cardinals
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