Why Masyn Winn Thinks 2026 Will 'Actually Be Better' for Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals wrapped up spring training with a 3-2 win on Sunday over the Houston Astros. Now, all they have to do is set their Opening Day roster.

There are still a few spots up for grabs, but with spring training over, the time has come to focus on the 2026 season. The Cardinals are not expected to accomplish much this season.

However, that hasn't stopped them from believing in themselves. They still hope to compete for a playoff spot despite entering a rebuild. Gold Glove shortstop Masyn Winn made a bold prediction, that St. Louis could actually be better this year than they were in 2025.

Why Cardinals could be better in 2026

"We're going to go out there and just play with our hair on fire and have a good time," Winn said. "As far as the ups and downs, I'm interested to see. A lot of times whenever something's going bad, the veteran steps in and gets on everybody's butt. But I think this year might actually be better because we're all so young and we're all going to struggle. We're all going to go through slumps. Having guys who are younger and really like-minded is going to be good for us."

While veteran leadership is important for any team to have, the circumstances are different for the Cardinals in 2026. They have a lot more young players than usual, and this season presents an exciting opportunity for these young players to not only prove themselves, but step into veteran leadership roles.

Players like Winn and Alec Burleson are now the leaders on the team with Sonny Gray, Brendan Donovan, Willson Contreras and Nolan Arenado having been traded away. 2026 will be full of ups and downs for the Cardinals, so it will be interesting to see how things play out and how they'll respond to challenges.

But Winn believes that with new players in new roles, the Cardinals can actually benefit this year, and that is certainly possible. Lower expectations often means lower pressure, so if the Cardinals can start strong, they'll do so without having the weight of expectations and can play loose and relaxed to start the season.

There will be slumps and growing pains, but that doesn't mean the Cardinals can't show some positive signs this season. There is still a lot of upside with this year's group despite all the trades.