Winn showcasing his skills since All-Star break

SAN DIEGO -- There are flashpoint moments -- such as when Masyn Winn ranged several steps to his right, deftly backhanded a ball in the hole and fired a strike to first or when he later swatted a go-ahead, two-run double into the left-field corner -- that the high-end possibilities for the Cardinals dynamic shortstop seem limitless.

Moments like those from the Cardinals’ victory over the Padres on Saturday are ones a rebuilding Cards franchise hopes to see more of over the final two months of the season. There were few of those on Sunday afternoon as right-hander Dylan Cease suffocated the Cardinals’ offense over five innings of a 7-3 Padres win, but Winn still left his fingerprints all over the series with his strong all-around play.

Winn, 23, came into Sunday as MLB’s leader in outs above average (18), lending some insight into just how high of a ceiling he has in potentially becoming the game’s best all-around shortstop. Add in the way Winn has swung the bat since the All-Star break -- Sunday excluded, when he was 0-for-5 with a game-ending lineout -- and the Cardinals think he can eventually become the type of foundational piece on which they can build their franchise.

“Offensively I’m still working on some things, but defensively I feel like I’m that guy and I love that my teammates and staff think that about me,” Winn said of his potential of being a long-term franchise pillar for the Cards. “I want to be here for a long time, and making a play like that [on Saturday] is going to allow that to happen.”

Winn and Co. offered little resistance on Sunday against Cease and a star-studded Padres bullpen. Iván Herrera’s first-inning single was the lone Cardinals hit through the first eight innings. Cease struck out nine with 19 swings and misses over just five innings of work.

The Cards showed their refusal to roll over -- a trait of theirs all season -- by hammering out five hits and three runs in the ninth, with most of the damage coming against Padres left-hander Adrian Morejon. They forced San Diego closer Robert Suarez into the game, and he got his 32nd save after facing the tying run in Winn.

“The end of the game, that’s a learned skill to be able to never give in and figure out a way,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “You come in the dugout and you’re down a ton, and they wanted to get Suarez in the game. The fact we did that, it was impressive.”

Marmol was impressed with the athleticism and dynamic defensive imagination that Winn showed a night earlier, when he practically lifted the Cardinals onto his shoulders and carried them to a win.

While not as acclaimed as superstar shortstops Elly De La Cruz, Bobby Witt Jr. or Gunnar Henderson, Winn might have the better complete package as a player because of his blossoming offense and defense that is unmatched. In addition to leading the league in outs above average, Winn leads MLB shortstops with a .995 best fielding percentage (just two errors).

“He’s an electric player, and he can beat you in a lot of different ways,” Marmol said. “This is a guy who can hit for power and beat you, use the whole field and beat you and beat you on the bases. And he can definitely beat you defensively. That’s the style of player you can build around and he’s continuing to grow. His overall mindset is that he’s going to give you everything he’s got.”

Added pitcher Michael McGreevy, who was the beneficiary of Winn’s work on Saturday: “The caliber of player he is, the type of ceiling he has -- even the floor -- it’s a really special player. He’s the type of player who comes along once in a generation.”

Despite being in just his second full MLB season, Winn welcomes the pressure that comes with potentially evolving into the face of the Cardinals. He was highly critical of himself after a first half he found disappointing, but he has swung the bat with a newfound aggressiveness in recent weeks. His 20 hits since the All-Star break are tied for fourth in the National League, and he has been even better with runners in scoring position since the break (8-for-17 with four doubles and nine RBIs).

“We’ve got a good young group, but personally I’d love to be that guy for this city,” Winn said. “I’ve got to pick it up offensively, but moving forward I can be a leader for this team and somebody they can rely on every year.”