MESA, Ariz. – Victor Scott II, a dynamic prospect and speedster coming off a 94-stolen base season, will indeed join the St. Louis Cardinals on the Opening Day roster.
Scott earns an Opening Day roster on the Cardinals final day of spring training. Multiple media members confirmed the decision Tuesday, and it’s expected to be formalized by the end of the day.
A centerfielder by trait and 23 years old, Scott opened the spring as the Cardinals’ fourth-best ranked prospect in MLB Pipeline’s ratings. He’s considered one of the top prospects in terms of speed and fielding, and he nearly finished near the top among the minor league’s hit leaders last season with 166 over 132 games.
Scott built upon his big year with an impressive spring, hitting .316 with 10 runs scored and a stolen base over 13 games.
The Cardinals previously assigned Scott to minor league camp on Saturday with lead executive John Mozeliak preaching patience in development, though they opted to accelerate his timeline to the big leagues, mostly out of necessity.
Three St. Louis outfielders with experience in centerfield – Tommy Edman, Lars Nootbaar and Dylan Carlson – will all start the season on the injured list. Carlson was expected to take charge as the Opening Day centerfielder until he suffered a shoulder injury Monday during a collision with teammate Jordan Walker.
Instead, Scott will get the first chance to seize the Cardinals’ centerfield job this season.
Manager Oli Marmol offered the following comments on Scott to FOX 2 earlier this spring:
“He’s studious. Being around him, it’s interesting how he goes about his process. He’s constantly learning, taking notes, and asking questions. … He has an idea of what he’s trying to do out there. There’s room to becoming an even better baserunner.”
Scott spoke in depth about his stolen base approach during the Cardinals’ Winter Warm-Up event in January, saying he likes to watch little things from pitchers as hints to steal, like twitches, looks or breathes. He’s learned these things with help from former Cardinals speedster Vince Coleman, who stole 100-plus bases three times for St. Louis in the 1980s.
Scott says he felt grateful for the opportunity to put himself in a strong position for a big-league callup over the last year.
“It feels incredible,” said Scott during Winter Warm-Up. “Surreal to know this is my first full year, and I’ve kind of made those waves and strides to make myself the player I am now. To know I kind of have my foot in the door. It’s an awesome feeling, honestly.”
Scott profiles as someone who could bat leadoff, though with the Cardinals using Brendan Donovan there much of spring, his spot in the batting order remains to be determined. Scott is expected to wear uniform No. 11 on Opening Day.
The Cardinals conclude spring training with one more exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday in Arizona. Up next after that: Opening Day in Los Angeles. First pitch is set for 3:05 p.m. CT on Thursday against the powerhouse LA Dodgers.
