By: Tobey Schulman
The St. Louis Cardinals recently signed veteran shortstop Brandon Crawford to a one year deal with $2,000,000. The three time all star and two time World Series champion however comes into the Cardinals clubhouse with a different role than he’s had before.
Crawford joins the Cardinals in a year where they look to make strides with their new young shortstop Masyn Winn. The Cardinals current top prospect saw 37 games in the majors this season, hitting .172 and recording 21 hits in 137 plate appearances. While the offensive numbers weren’t quite there, Winn shows incredible potential in the field.
Winn raised the eyebrows of scouts everywhere in the All-Star Futures Game where he fired a 100 mile per hour bullet to first base to record a routine out. That throw broke the record for hardest infield throw in the Statcast era. It left no doubts to anyone watching, that the Cardinals prospect had an arm worthy of the 80 grade it was given, the highest possible grade that can be given.
Winn stated in an interview that the Crawford signing lit a fire in him, he went on to record three hits in his second game in spring training. Crawford responded by assuring the media he was there to help Winn and being a four time gold glove recipient, he no doubt can provide valuable insight to the young shortstop.
Having Crawford in the lineup also gives the Cardinals someone with deep postseason experience. With a roster that’s becoming younger and younger each season, they’ll need someone like Crawford on the roster if they want to make the postseason, and continue that into a deep run in October.
Crawford hit .194 with San Francisco last year, but looks to revert back to his 2021 self where he hit .298 and made his most recent all star appearance. Winn on the other hand, looks to improve his game and post better offensive numbers after seeing more time in the majors.
The signing may go overlooked by many, but this can have a major impact on the future of Masyn Winn. Winn goes into spring training in 2024 with mentorship from legendary Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith, and now has Brandon Crawford for the entire rest of the season.
Cardinals fans should be watching Winn closely this spring training season, and should watch for improvements all around his game this season.
