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Winn headlines Cardinals' Organization All-Stars

MLB's No. 30 prospect rode a sizzling bat to his debut in The Show
@Kelsie_Heneghan
November 3, 2023

Each offseason, MiLB.com goes position by position across each organization and honors the players -- regardless of age or prospect status -- who had the best seasons in each farm system. Next up in our 2023 Organization All-Stars series are the St. Louis Cardinals. 2023 organization summary: Triple-A Memphis: 71-78

Each offseason, MiLB.com goes position by position across each organization and honors the players -- regardless of age or prospect status -- who had the best seasons in each farm system. Next up in our 2023 Organization All-Stars series are the St. Louis Cardinals.

2023 organization summary:
Triple-A Memphis: 71-78
Double-A Springfield: 72-66
High-A Peoria: 69-63
Single-A Palm Beach: 64-63
FCL Cardinals: 17-33
DSL Cardinals: 17-36
Overall record: 395-374 (11th among MLB organizations)
Midseason Farm System Rankings: 22

Cardinals 2023 Organization All-Stars

C: Iván Herrera
AAA: .297/.451/.500, 83 G, 10 HR, 60 RBI, 66 R, 75 BB, 11 SB
Herrera registered arguably his best season yet with a career-high .951 OPS. After a quiet April, the 23-year-old stepped it up with a .353 average in May, and he stayed hot amid three trips to The Show. Herrera also showed he could translate his Triple-A success to the Majors, logging the exact same batting average: .297. While there’s still room for improvement behind the dish, the Panama native brought it with his bat.

1B: Luken Baker
AAA: .334/.439/.720, 84 G, 33 HR, 98 RBI, 71 R, 59 BB
Baker was among the top sluggers in the Minors all season long. His 33 homers placed him just two shy of the Minor League lead, despite spending 33 games in The Show. Baker reached career highs in just about every offensive category, including a 1.159 OPS, during his time with the Redbirds. And even with the high homer total, the 2018 Draft pick logged a 20 percent K rate -- down from 28.6 percent in 2021.

2B: Nick Dunn
AA/AAA: .319/.413./442, 124 G, 9 HR, 60 RBI, 81 R, 73 BB, 2 SB
Although Dunn found himself back at Double-A for the third straight season, he stepped up in every way, leading all Cardinals with a .319 average. It only took until July 9 for the left-handed hitter to tie his career high of seven homers. Dunn posted a .903 OPS through 73 games before finally getting that bump to Triple-A, where he remained consistent and showed he was an option at third base as well.

3B: Michael Curialle
A: .282/.392/.397, 110 G, 2 HR, 57 RBI, 66 R, 51 BB, 10 SB
Curialle got a taste of the Florida State League in 2022 after the Cardinals selected him in the 12th round out of UCLA, and the experience paid off in his first full season. The Draft League alum overcame a tough stretch to post a .789 OPS across the campaign. Curialle’s 28 doubles tied for the circuit lead while also ranking in the top 10 for hits, average, on-base percentage and OPS.

SS: Masyn Winn (STL No. 1, MLB No. 30)
AAA: .288/.359/.474, 105 G, 18 HR, 61 RBI, 99 R, 44 BB, 17 SB
Winn started his third pro season as MLB’s No. 50 overall prospect and ended it at No. 30. While his bat took about a month to get adjusted to Triple-A, the 2020 second-round pick put on a show with his 80-grade arm, regularly making infield assists over 90 mph and even reaching 102. Each month, Winn got more locked in at the plate, slashing .333/.398/.634/1.032 in the 45 games after the All-Star break until the Cardinals called him up on Aug. 18.

OF: Noah Mendlinger (STL No. 30)
A+/AA: .294/.425/.393, 111 G, 5 HR, 55 RBI, 70 R, 65 BB, 7 SB
Mendlinger, who was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2021, started the year playing for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic. The left-handed hitter sprayed the ball across the field and led the farm system with a .425 on-base percentage. After starting his career as an infielder, the 23-year-old ventured to the outfield for the first time, playing 53 games in right and 20 in left.

OF: Victor Scott II (STL No. 4)
A+/AA: .303/.369/.425, 132 G, 9 HR, 63 RBI, 95 R, 46 BB, 94 SB
In his first full season, Scott took off, literally. Showcasing 80-grade speed, the 2022 Draft pick tied for the Minor League lead in stolen bases with an 87 percent success rate. Scott gave himself plenty of opportunities to steal as he led the farm system with 166 hits and ranked second with 233 total bases. The left-handed hitter only got better when he was promoted to Triple-A, posting a .323/373/.450/.823 slash line with the Redbirds.

OF: Mike Antico (STL No. 29)
AA: .265/.350/.447, 127 G, 18 HR, 72 RBI, 86 R, 54 BB, 52 SB
Antico ranked in the top 10 of just about every offensive category among Cardinals Minor Leaguers, including second only to Scott in swipes as he utilized his 70-grade speed. The left-handed hitter cut down on strikeouts as the season went on and upped his BABIP to .322 as he led Springfield with 126 hits. Antico played all over the grass but spent most of his time in center.

RHP: Max Rajcic (STL No. 18)
A/A+: 9-6, 2.48 ERA, 123 1/3 IP, 123 K, 27 BB, .217 BAA, 1.01 WHIP
Rajcic made the transition to pro ball look easy, notching a 1.89 ERA through 12 Single-A starts, including six near-perfect frames with a hit batter being his only blemish. With a curveball leading his arsenal, the 2022 Draft pick out of UCLA remained dominant at High-A. Rajcic bested all Cardinals pitchers in ERA and batting average against while ranking second in WHIP and tying for fourth in strikeouts.

LHP: Pete Hansen (STL No. 25)
A/AAA: 11-3, 3.09 ERA, 113 2/3 IP, 126 K, 39 BB, .218 BAA, 1.15 WHIP
Like Rajcic, Hansen came out of the 2022 Draft and posted a strong pro debut for Palm Beach. The University of Texas product led the farm system in strikeouts while ranking second in batting average against and third in ERA. Hansen utilized his 60-grade slider for most of his punchouts, but also worked in his curveball. After hurling a scoreless start in the Florida State League playoffs, the 23-year-old earned a relief appearance in the International League where he spun a perfect frame for the Redbirds.

RP: Bryan Pope
A+/AA: 4-3, 3 HLD, 3.08 ERA, 64 1/3 IP, 70 K, 24 BB, .268 BAA, 1.41 WHIP
Pope started the season stingy, posting a 1.95 ERA in 15 appearances for Peoria before getting the bump to Springfield. While the 24-year-old took some time to adjust to Double-A, he hit his stride in August, holding opponents to one earned run in six games. Pope, who signed as an undrafted free agent in 2021, led Cardinals Minor League relievers with at least 50 innings pitched in ERA.

Kelsie Heneghan is a writer for MiLB.com. Follow her on Twitter @Kelsie_Heneghan.