During the three months Victor Scott II spent in Springfield earlier this year, the 22-year-old center fielder became a fan favorite for his all-around play and engaging personality.
Not only did Scott skyrocket as a prospect in the Cardinals’ organization for his hitting, base-stealing and defense, he was always willing to offer up a smile and an autograph to young fans.
Scott enjoyed his half-season at Hammons Field, but forgive him if he hopes to never play another game there. And every time the St. Louis Cardinals make an offseason roster move, Scott’s trajectory tracks closer and closer to Busch Stadium.
“Yeah, I’ve been paying attention and seeing what’s going on and staying in the loop,” Scott said of the team’s recent moves to sign three veteran free-agent pitchers.
There is speculation that the team is seeking to trade an outfielder or two at the upcoming Winter Meetings. That could further clear the path for Scott to make his major league debut sooner rather than later.
“It looks like there may be an opportunity for me to make an impact at the big-league level at some point next year, if not the start,” Scott said earlier this week in a phone interview from his Atlanta home.
Scott followed solid summer with stint in prestigious Arizona Fall League
Scott said he resumed workouts this week after taking about three weeks off following his stint in the Arizona Fall League, which many call a finishing school for elite prospects across the minor leagues.
After hitting a combined .303 with nine home runs, 63 RBIs and 94 stolen bases at High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield in 2023 (he had 20 doubles and 10 triples as well), Scott went to Arizona and re-affirmed his status as a major leaguer in the making. He finished the year as the Cardinals’ No. 4 prospect according to MLB.com.
In 21 AFL games, Scott hit .286 with a .388 on-base percentage, three homers and 18 steals in 21 attempts. At the league’s annual Fall Stars Game, Scott stole three bases, doubled and walked twice.
“The experience was second to none,” Scott said. “It was a well-run operation. It was fun and a great way to get your name out there a little bit more and let people learn your personality and what your game is like. It was a good way to compete, day in and day out, with some of the best competition there is.
“They say about 75% of those who go to the fall league end up debuting (in the majors) the next year. Just knowing that these guys are top-notch players, like myself, to go out and compete and see how you rank among the best as those valued by each of the individual organizations, it was quite the experience and I enjoyed it.”
Ready for a break after playing 153 games in 2023
The left-handed hitting Scott said he was ready for a break afterward. With 153 games under his belt in 2023, including all the sliding involved in base stealing, it took a physical toll. The fifth-round draft choice in 2022 out of the University of West Virginia said that was another part of learning how to be a pro.
“I would describe it as a breakout year,” Scott said. “The way that people discovered who I was, on and off the field. A year of learning, for sure. This is how it feels to go through a full season. This is what I need to do day-in and day-out in order to be successful, whether it’s eating correctly or body preparation. Those were all big components.
“Whatever you put into your body is what it’s going to give you, especially when you’re putting yourself through the gauntlet day in and day out. It was a blessing to be healthy for a full year.”
Gold Glove the ‘cherry on top'
Scott’s base-stealing and offensive highlights grabbed most of the attention, but one of his biggest accolades came a couple of weeks ago and involved his defense. Scott was named one of three outfielders across all of minor league baseball to win a Rawlings Gold Glove, the first Cardinals minor leaguer to do so since 2015.
Scott made only three errors (two at Peoria, one for Springfield) for a .992 fielding average. He also threw out five runners attempting to advance.
“Man, it was honestly kind of mind-blowing,” Scott said of the Gold Glove. “To look back, I was so focused on what I was doing offensively and letting the defense take care of itself and not think about it so much. To look up after a long season and you hear the fielding percentages and the plays you’ve made that may have seemed normal in the moment that you think, ‘That was some pretty cool stuff.’
“The Gold Glove is kind of like a cherry on top to the season. It was an honor and a blessing.”
Asked if he had a favorite defensive play, Scott said there were a few that came to mind. He went with one while playing for Peoria in a Midwest League game in Appleton, Wisconsin, early in the season.
“We were playing the Timber Rattlers and it was bases loaded and a critical situation of the game,” he said. “I remember going back on a ball that was hit over my head and ended up jumping a good amount, up the wall, and came down with a pretty cool play that saved some runs.”
From the batter's box to the bowling lane
Scott will maintain a regular workout routine from now until February, when he joins Cardinals spring training in Jupiter, Florida. When he’s not in the gym, you might find him in an Atlanta-area bowling center with his dad, Victor, who’s a former college track sprinter.
The avid bowler said he continues to improve in that sport as well.
“The other day I had a 211 and 215,” Scott said. “I’m still trying to compete with my Dad. He doesn’t bowl in leagues, he just does it for fun. He’s up there too and he’s really good.”
