July 2022: Scott was the Cardinals 5th round pick, out of West Virginia Univ., signing for $350,400, via scout TC Calhoun.

One of the best overall athletes in the Big 12, Scott had a strong summer in the Northwoods League in 2021, where he hit .329/.403/.450 with three home runs, seven doubles and 37 stolen bases. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound speedster had his best offensive season this spring for WVU in the Big 12, hitting .278/.397/.454 with six home runs, 12 doubles and 38 stolen bases. 

In 2024, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Victor as the 3rd-best prospect in the Cardinals' organization.

In 2023, Scott represented the Cardinals in the All-Star Futures Game.

Scott is one of the fastest players in minor league baseball and maybe even be the fastest. He’s already stolen 28 bases in 30 attempts this season while posting an .810 OPS. Scott, a left-handed hitter, is the future center fielder of the Cardinals. An overall above-average defender, he has great range in the outfield. Scouts have been buzzing about how electric he’s been this month.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak: “Victor has plus-plus speed, is a plus defender, has plus bat-to-ball skills and is just a good all-around player”

Cardinals GM Mike Girsch: “Victor Scott is hitting well for (High-A) Peoria and showing off his speed — (28) stolen bases versus two caught-stealings and plus center field defense.” (Bowden - May 18, 2023 - The Athletic)

2023 Futures Game: Most impressive speed. You better not blink when Scott is on the bases. On Saturday, he stole second and third so fast that the pitcher and catcher had zero chance of nabbing him. In fact, when he got to first base, they should have just put him at third base automatically. He already has 52 steals this season in the minor leagues. (Bowden Jul 9, 2023 - The Athletic)

Oct 10, 2023: The son of two former college sprinters and the owner of 94 stolen bases in two levels of the Minor Leagues this season, Victor Scott II is known for having an explosive first step and elite top-end speed.

However, the Cardinals No. 4-ranked prospect claims to have never moved faster in his life than he did when he got word that legendary basestealer Vince Coleman was hanging out in the lobby of his Seattle hotel before the MLB Futures Game back in July.

“I don’t know what could have gotten up faster -- a Tesla going 0 to 60 [mph] or me jumping up and getting down to the lobby,” joked Scott, who would later steal a base in the Futures Game off catcher Edgar Quero, the No. 3-ranked player in the White Sox organization, per MLB Pipeline. “I was like, ‘I don’t know if this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, but it’s a great opportunity to meet someone whose game is like the one I play.’

“I got down there, and we started talking about jumps, reading pitchers’ tendencies and how confidence plays into stealing bases. We created this really great relationship. I’ve been able to lean on him, he’s given me advice and I knew he’d never be a guy who would steer me wrong.”

With help from Coleman -- the Cardinals Hall of Famer with 752 career stolen bases -- Scott sprinted his way to becoming the organization’s fastest-rising prospect. The 22-year-old lefty-hitting center fielder hit .303 with nine home runs, 20 doubles 10 triples and 94 stolen bases in 132 games split between Single-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield. His 94 steals were tied with Rays prospect Chandler Simpson for the Minor League lead. He also jumped 21 spots in MLB Pipeline’s rankings of Cards prospects. 

An Atlanta native by way of West Virginia University, Scott was a fifth-round pick by the Cardinals in 2022. His promising performance this season earned him a chance to play in the prestigious Arizona Fall League -- the platform Nolan Gorman, Lars Nootbaar, Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn used to propel themselves from the Minors to the big leagues. “The steps are kind of laid out for me,” said Scott, who came into the Fall ball play hitting .313 with three stolen bases in four tries. “If I continue being that consistent, humble guy and follow those steps within God’s plan, it seems like I may have a shot at being a big leaguer next year, which would be awesome.” (J Denton - MLB.com - Oct 10, 2023)     

Oct 28, 2023: The phrase “never bunt, hit dingers” has only grown in ubiquity as baseball has embraced an all-out offensive approach in recent years. But in the case of Victor Scott II, equipped with 80-grade speed and limited power, the higher-percentage play would actually be to drop the ball down and force the defense to try and throw him out.

At least that’s what the Cardinals’ No. 4 prospect tried to do in the bottom of the fifth inning during Scottsdale's 6-5 loss to Salt River at Scottsdale Stadium on Friday night. But after bunting a 1-0 offering foul, Scott immediately dug back in the box and let his left-handed swing rip, walloping his second home run of the Fall League deep into the night. “The way I play is just getting on base and trying to cause havoc in any sort of way I can,” Scott said. “But it's a good opportunity to put a swing on something when he threw two sliders, and then you kind of know the fastball is coming. “So it's time to hit at that point.”

But if you expected Scott -- with just 11 pro homers to his name -- to get greedy, think again. His next plate appearance in the seventh saw him drop down a flawless bunt to the left side of the infield, extending the frame long enough to allow the tying run to cross home. “In the offseason, I work with [one of my old coaches back home] and all we did was bunt, bunt, bunt, bunt,” Scott said. “Talking to him, he kind of looks at the box scores, keeps up with me and he tells me like, ‘Hey man, relax on those bunts, just put them down and run.’” Before his bat could electrify in Scottsdale, Scott attempted to do so with his legs. After knocking an RBI single in the third, the 22-year-old promptly swiped second base. By virtue of an errant throw, he hopped up and jogged to third. Getting the timing down of the catcher’s return throws to the mound was paramount as he broke for home a few pitches later, the first time he attempted to swipe home in such a fashion since college.

An alert response from right-handed pitcher Wilmer Flores (DET No. 7) led to Scott being nabbed at the dish, but that’s just all part of the havoc. By virtue of his pair of stolen bases, he is tied atop the Fall League standings in steals with 12. Just three players have ever reached the 20-steal plateau in the AFL, with the single-season record having been set at 24 by Rick Holifield in 1994.

About that speed. Scott put himself on the map nationally this season by virtue of his wheels, which carried him to 94 stolen bases across 132 games between High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield, tied with Tampa's Chandler Simpson for the most in the Minors. His 11.2 wSB was not only tops in the Minors in 2023, it more than doubled the mark of all but 17 other basestealers across all levels. (J Borek - MLB.com - Oct 28, 2023)

2023 AFL results: One of the quickest risers in the Cardinals system this year, Scott went one-for-five with an RBI single against Peoria to end his fall. The former fifth-round pick from the 2022 draft batted .286, tied a team-high in homers with three and posted a .388 on-base percentage and a .417 slugging percentage in 84 regular season at-bats for Scottsdale. In the similar leadoff role he held while with Class High-A Peoria and Class AA Springfield, Scott posted the second-lowest strikeout percentage (8.1%) and the second-highest strikeout-to-walk rate (2.000) among qualified AFL hitters.

The MiLB co-leader in stolen base with 94, Scott stole 18 bases, was caught twice, and came up three bags shy of leading the “finishing school” in steals. He demonstrated his base-stealing savviness and his rare 80-grade speed tool by swiping three bases in the Fall Stars game. As Scottsdale’s leader in games played, Scott was charged with one error in 55 chances and notched one assist in 185 defensive innings in center field. (Daniel Guerrero - Nov. 11, 2023)

2023 Cardinals Most Improved Prospect: Victor Scott II, OF (No. 4)

Scott just wrapped up his regular season and finished with a Minors-best 94 stolen bases over 132 games between High-A and Double-A. As an 80-grade runner, his ability to swipe bags may not be a huge shock -- though anyone predicting 90-plus thefts from him should collect a prize -- but his jump up the Cardinals Top 30 ranks was fueled by a strong offensive showing too, particularly at Springfield, where he hit .323/.373/.450 with a 119 wRC+ over 66 games.(Dykstra & Mayo - MLB.com - Dec 21, 2023)

March 26, 2024: While injuries to Tommy Edman, Lars Nootbaar and Dylan Carlson have repeatedly thrown the Cardinals’ best-laid outfield plans into flux and caused plenty of uncertainty, particularly in center field, manager Oliver Marmol spoke with conviction and no hesitation when discussing the club’s future at that position.

“[Victor Scott II] is the starting center fielder,” Marmol said after the team learned that Carlson will miss several weeks with a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder. “If he’s here, he’s going to play. He’s here to play. I’m extremely excited to watch him. 

“Two things come to mind with this kid: He’s confident in his abilities and he embraces competition. Secondly, he has a personality that even if he’s tested and faces adversity, he’s going to come out of it just fine. It’ll be fun to watch.”

Scott, who had been reassigned to Minor League camp on Saturday, was back in his native Georgia watching a movie with his girlfriend when he started getting alerts on his phone about Carlson’s injury. At 7 p.m. ET on Monday night, he learned would be headed to Arizona to join the Cardinals instead of Triple-A Memphis.

The 23-year-old Scott, who played at Single-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield last season, woke up at 3:30 a.m. on a Tuesday morning to catch a 6:00 a.m. flight from Atlanta to Phoenix. Upon arriving at Sloan Park, where the Cards ended the spring with a 7-2 win over the Cubs, Scott registered a hard-hit single. The rookie was informed by Oliver Marmol and bench coach Daniel Descalso prior to the game that his MLB debut would come at Dodger Stadium.

 “The emotions were pretty high, honestly, because it’s been a crazy couple of days,” Scott said candidly. “I was just trying to hone in on the moment. Ever since I was a little kid and three years old, I’ve dreamed of hearing those words: ‘You’re going to The Show.’

"To see it all come full circle and come to fruition, it was a tear-jerker, for sure.”

An MRI exam revealed that Carlson -- the projected Opening Day starter in center field following a stellar Spring Training -- sustained damage to his left shoulder after a collision with right fielder Jordan Walker caused him to land hard on his left side on the warning track.

“It really sucks, the timing sucks and everything about it is awful, honestly,” said Carlson, who will do his rehabilitation work in St. Louis. “I put myself in a position to really feel good for the first time in a while, and this definitely hurts and stings.”

Added Scott, who will wear No. 11: “I actually told [Carlson] that I am praying for him because that’s a tough circumstance. I told him that I’m going to keep him in my prayers and to get well soon. But it’s an opportunity for me and I’m going to try and seize it.” (J Denton - MLB.com - March 26, 2024)

March 28, 2024: Scott steals a base -- and takes it home!

When rookie speedster Victor Scott II reached base for the first time in his MLB career -- on a hurried throwing error by Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts -- Cardinals teammates in the dugout requested the ball in case the play was later overturned to a hit. Three pitches later, Scott, the Cardinals' No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline, flashed his blazing speed by easily stealing second base. Seconds after that happened, Cardinals’ star Paul Goldschmidt yelled from the dugout, “Give him the base!” according to manager Oliver Marmol.

While Scott never got that first hit from the Dodger Stadium official scorekeeper, he did get the base from his first-ever steal as a surprise gift following the Redbirds’ 6-3 loss to the star-studded Dodgers.

Scott’s representation team, Ballengee Group, contacted the Dodgers and requested the second-base bag from the Opening Day game so that Scott could honor his first stolen base as a big leaguer. The 23-year-old Scott, who swiped 94 bases between High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield last season, said he already has a new home in mind for the Dodger Stadium base. It’s a collection to which he plans to add several times over in the coming days, weeks and months. 

“I think it should go to my parents, because it will probably mean more to them,” said Scott, whose father, Victor Sr., and mother, Mary, were on hand at Dodger Stadium along with other family and friends. “It’ll be good for them to have it.” (J Denton - MLB.com - March 30, 2024)

Aug 6, 2024: Mired in a skid since the All-Star break, the Cardinals needed a spark. They got it from an unlikely source. Victor Scott II's first career home run ignited a four-run rally in the second inning as the Cardinals beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-3, in the opener of a three-game series at Busch Stadium.

Scott, St. Louis' No. 3 prospect who was recalled from Triple-A Memphis after Michael Siani landed on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain, hammered a Jeffrey Springs' fastball over the right-field wall and into the Cardinals’ bullpen to tie the game at 2. Scott entered the game hitting just .081 with two career RBIs. “I started to question it as [right fielder Josh Lowe] started to kind of approach the wall,” Scott said. “I was like, ‘please no, please no.’ And then I end up seeing it go over the wall and I was like, 'this is awesome.'”

Scott’s parents were in attendance, making the accomplishment even more special. He said the ball, when he gets it, will go to them. “It definitely helps a lot with confidence to know that my work is paying off, and that the routine I have built is starting to show,” Scott said.

Scott began the season on the Major League club and struggled with an .085 average in 20 games before being sent back to Memphis. During that time, he reworked his swing. He credits his dancing ability with being able to make the adjustments.

“I like to consider myself a good dancer,” Scott said. “So, with being a good dancer, [you have rhythm] and I feel like hitting is all about rhythm. So, with that move is just more of a [rhythm], and it feels like I'm almost dancing with the pitcher. So, it helps me out with my timing, adjustability, all those good things.”

While Scott’s favorite type of dance is hip hop, he certainly did a nice waltz around the bases.

“It was almost like surreal,” Scott said. “I always do like this little skip around third and as I was doing it, I was like, 'please don't trip. That would be so bad.'” (J Harris - MLB.com - Aug 6, 2024) 

 One of the best athletes in the Cardinals system, Scott is an explosive but undersized outfielder with quick-twitch mechanisms. He has advanced as a hitter during his time as a professional and now shows an advanced approach and plus bat-to-ball skills. Scott employs two separate approaches depending upon the opposing pitcher’s handedness. Against righthanders, he uses a more traditional approach by looking to make consistent hard contact. Against lefthanders, he looks to put the ball in play.

Victor doesn’t get overly aggressive but often shortens his swing and uses his double-plus speed as an advantage. Scott bunted 28 times in 2023, 24 times against lefties. It’s a viable strategy for Scott, who hit .708 on bunts this season. He flies out of the lefthanded batter’s box and consistently puts pressure on defenders. (Geoff Pontes - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2024)

2022 Season: Stats (Low A): 142 PAs, .222/.358/.389, 16.9 BB%, 18.3 K%, .167 ISO, .262 BABIP, 115 wRC+

Scouting (TCN): 35/50 hit, 35/45 power, 55/65 field, 50/50 arm, 70/70 run

With most of prospects, and depending on your skepticism on Scott’s scouting, you are unsure of the non-hitting parts and feel like you have a pretty good handle on the hitting. With Scott, the hitting is the question. The fielding and the baserunning appear to be near elite, so it’s all about his bat. He had a good professional debut, but it still may have relied a bit too much on the wildness of Low A pitchers, which he can’t rely on as he gets deeper in the minors. Or at least that’s usually how it works. (stlcardsfan4  Mar 18, 2023)

2023 Season: Scott was selected to participate in the AFL. Scott, 22, hit .303 and led the minors with 94 stolen bases during the regular season.

Scott was a known 80-grade runner coming into his first full season as a 2022 fifth-rounder, but his willingness to press the issue on the basepaths was nearly unmatched this year. The former West Virginia Mountaineer’s 94 steals tied him with Rays prospect Chandler Simpson – a fellow Atlanta-area native and former teammate from the Northwoods League – for the Minor League lead. Scott hasn’t stopped running in the Arizona Fall League either; he leads that circuit with nine thefts  (Mayo, Dykstra & Callis - MLB.com - Oct 18, 2023)

Scott said his goal for 2024 is to make his MLB debut. To help make that possible, he spent the offseason working on speed—not from his feet, but off his bat. The Cardinals provided him drills to generate more hand speed.

“The right way, instead of just going out there and swinging as hard as I could,” Scott said. “Instead of just that single approach, now you start adding the element of doubles and even more triples.” (Derrick Goold - BA - Feb., 2024)

Victor struck out more than you’d like to see in college, something he chalked up to getting out of his approach to chase homers, and he's adjusted nicely to more of a line-drive approach with High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield in 2023. While he used to sell out for power with an uphill swing, he hasn't shown as much pop with the adjustments in the pro game, but that still suits his way of playing just fine.

If Scott can hit around .270-.280 with his other skills, he could be a valuable outfield asset for St. Louis. (BA - Spring 2023)

Victor has some bat-to-ball skills and doesn’t expand the zone frequently but has below-average power and his strikeout rates with West Virginia are a bit of a concern, with his lefthanded bat leading to questions.

Hopefully, Victor will settle and learn his swing and approach and develop into a quality table-setter at the top of the lineup. The lefthanded hitter has run above-average contact and chase rates, while flashing some power.

By embracing speed, Scott has worked to make more contact and outrun grounders while not expanding his strike zone. (Aug., 2023)

2024 Season: Stats: 53 G, 155 PA, 14 R, 9 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 5 SB, 1 CS, .179/.219/.283, -0.5 bWAR

Statcast: 5.7% barrel, 33.3% sweet spot, 107.1 max exit velocity, .221 wOBA, .246 xwOBA, 27.1 K%, 3.9 BB%

Grade: C

While the Cardinals’ lack of player development has been going on for some time now, there may have been no clearer case of that dysfunction than that of VS2.  After a breakout year in the minors, Scott had a strong spring.  Nothing completely crazy, but a strong spring.  He was headed for Memphis to start the season when Dylan Carlson and Jordan Walker had a chance encounter in the outfield in the next-to-last spring game.  Suddenly down a center fielder, the Cardinals for some reason thought letting Scott be the Opening Day center fielder was a much better idea than Michael Siani, even though there wasn’t likely to be a significant different offensively or defensively and Siani already had major league time.

That went over … terribly.  When he was sent down after three weeks, his slash line in MLB stood at .085/.138/.136.  Perhaps in part because of the confusion of playing at the big leagues before he was ready, when he went down to Memphis he struggled as well.  He didn’t get his batting average over .200 to stay until late June.  

Eventually, Ryan Ludwick tinkered with him a bit and results seemed to follow.  He had a seven game hitting streak at the end of July/beginning of August where he hit .370.  The Cards called him up then when Siani hit the injured list.  Instead of sticking with Scott, especially since he was hitting .306 in the 13 games before, when Siani came back, Scott was bumped to the bench (to work on things with the major league coaches), then back to Memphis before returning again before the end of the year.  

You wonder where he’d have been if he’d started at Memphis and came up only in July or August when he was ready. (Cardinal70 - Nov 21, 2024)

Victor is a 70 grade defender with a 50 grade arm in center field. He is an exciting player, with his elite defensive play. His speed allows him to cover large swaths of ground in center field. Scott is a difference-maker on defense.

Scott looks like a potential everyday center fielder who can make an impact at the plate or on the basepaths.

Victor has top-end, 80 grade speed on the 20-80 scouting scale. Scott wreaks havoc on the bases.

The son of two sprinters, Scott brings a knowledge and feel for the biomechanics of athleticism. And coaches rave about his aptitude for learning.

Last season Scott learned how to read swings and get a jump before contact. He became an elite center fielder and admitted, “I was running and smiling at the same time. I never thought I’d get jumps like that.”

By the end of the season, Scott said he went from “a sprinter who played baseball (to) a baseball player who runs.”

From his peers, he drew some lofty comparisons.

“I don’t know if you guys have seen him,” fellow outfielder Jordan Walker said. “He’s an unbelievable basketball player. Unbelievable bowler. He’s kind of like the Mookie Betts of the Cardinals, I would say.” (Derrick Goold - Baseball America - Feb. 2024)

Scott should always be a threat to steal bases, and he was a career 86% (62-for-72) base stealer with West Virginia. 

Victor has upside as a defensive replacement or fourth outfield type and potentially more if he can find some more impact ability or cut down on his swing and miss.

A few hours after meeting with former Cardinals speedster Vince Coleman for a midnight chat about what it takes to steal base when everyone in the ballpark knows you’re going to try, Victor Scott II did just that.

Twice.

In his Futures Game debut in July 2023, Scott singled and then stole second base easily. Then he snagged third, too.

“A lot of guys compete in the box. He competes in the box and always on the basepaths,” said Tink Hence, Scott’s Springfield teammate. “He loves the art of stealing bags. He feels like each (time he gets on base) he’s supposed go out and come back with at least a bag.” (Derrick Goold - Baseball America - Aug., 2023)