Masyn Winn DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

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.

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.