The Gold Glove Award finalists were revealed Wednesday, and the Cardinals have some representation from the 'Youngry' contingent of their roster.
Masyn Winn and Victor Scott II were both named finalists for the awards at their respective positions, shortstop and center field. A win for either Cardinal would represent the first of their respective Major League careers, but do we consider either candidate as likely to take home the hardware?
Winn was named a finalist up against Los Angeles' Mookie Betts and Atlanta's Nick Allen. With all due respect to the Braves shortstop who turned in a fine defensive campaign, it feels like this battle comes down to the rising star vs. the established one.
Masyn Winn put on a defensive masterclass this season:
— STL Sports Central (@STLSprtsCntrl) September 13, 2025
- Led all of MLB in OAA (22)
- Led all SS in Fielding Run Value (12)
- Fewest errors from a SS (3)
- Highest fielding % from a SS (.994)
Gold Glove incoming? #STLCards pic.twitter.com/gjVAPXnvGQ
2025 marked a return to shortstop on a more consistent basis for Betts and he certainly has the name recognition advantage over the Cardinals' defensive stalwart. While Winn out-paced Betts in the Baseball Savant statistic 'Outs Above Average' by a margin of 21 to 6, the edge went to Betts in Defensive Runs Saved by a similarly healthy margin.
To be clear, Winn would have garnered my vote if I had a say. But if this was a close race that came down to star power as a tiebreaker among the voting contingent around the league, I would worry that Betts finds the edge over the 23-year-old standout in St. Louis.
Though Winn put together an elite campaign and battled injury to grind out as much of a full season as he possibly could, we'll see whether those efforts were ultimately rewarded.
SS Masyn Winn and CF Victor Scott II have both been named Gold Glove Finalists at their respective positions
— STL Sports Central (@STLSprtsCntrl) October 15, 2025
The winners will be announced November 2nd #STLCards pic.twitter.com/o0kuvVFqWi
In the battle for the Gold Glove in center field, I am even less optimistic about Victor Scott II's chances to claim the prize over Cubs CF Pete Crow-Armstrong. PCA seemed to be a darling of national broadcasts and produced more offensively to get his name in highlight reels more frequently than VS2.
Washington's Jacob Young was the other finalist alongside PCA and Scott II in center, but I have a sneaking suspicion that award will land with Chicago's outfielder who tied for the MLB lead with 24 Outs Above Average in 2025.