Meet the Cardinals’ Blazing Star
Victor Scott II, the St. Louis Cardinals’ 24-year-old center fielder, is turning heads in 2025 with his electrifying speed. After a bumpy rookie year, the fifth-round pick from the 2022 MLB Draft is proving he’s more than just a fast guy—he’s a game-changer. Scott’s base-running has sparked the Cardinals’ offense, stealing bases, stretching singles into doubles, and putting pressure on defenses. Let’s dive into how his speed is reshaping St. Louis’ lineup, backed by stats and on-field moments that show why he’s a rising star.
A Speedster’s Roots
Born February 12, 2001, in Powder Springs, Georgia, Victor Scott II inherited his speed from athletic parents, both track stars at Morris Brown College. At McEachern High School, he captained the baseball team three times and moonlighted as a basketball standout. At West Virginia University, Scott became a base-stealing machine, swiping 62 bags over three seasons. His 38 steals in 2022 set a school record and ranked sixth in NCAA Division I. In the minors, he took it up a notch, leading all minor leaguers with 94 stolen bases in 2023 across High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield, hitting .303 with a .794 OPS, per MiLB.com.
Drafted by the Cardinals in 2022, Scott’s 80-grade speed (per MLB Pipeline) made him a top-100 prospect. His 2024 Spring Training was electric—.317 average, four steals—but his rookie season was a struggle, with a .179 batting average and .502 OPS over 53 games, leading to Triple-A demotions. In 2025, Scott’s back with a vengeance, hitting .290 with a .357 on-base percentage through May 29, per MLB.com, showing he’s ready to make his mark.
Speed That Changes Games
Scott’s legs are his superpower, and he’s putting them to work. As of May 29, 2025, he’s 14-for-15 in stolen bases, leading the Cardinals and ranking among MLB’s top thieves. Those 14 steals by May 23 have turned routine hits into scoring chances. Take his May 7 game against Pittsburgh: Scott scored from first on a Lars Nootbaar single, clocking 9.28 seconds from first to home—MLB’s sixth-fastest in 2025, per Statcast. Later, he singled and scored on Masyn Winn’s double, fueling a 5-0 win.
His sprint speed of 30.0 feet per second (100th percentile) forces pitchers to rush and catchers to second-guess. Despite defenses using slide-step deliveries and pitchouts, Scott’s 93% steal success rate (14-for-15) in 2025 outpaces his 86% college clip. Statcast clocked his first MLB steal in 2024 at 3.8 seconds from first to second at 29.6 feet per second with a 12-foot lead. X users are buzzing—@JohnDenton555 raved about a 95-foot running catch with a 10% catch probability, hitting 30.2 feet per second, while @STLCardsFan tweeted, “Scott’s speed is unreal. He’s stealing bases and breaking games open.”
Impact on the Cardinals’ Offense
The Cardinals’ offense leaned on power in 2024, ranking 22nd in stolen bases with 79. Scott’s changing that, bringing back the speed of the “Whiteyball” era, when Lou Brock (118 steals in 1974) and Vince Coleman (110 in 1985) ran wild. Mentored by Coleman, Scott’s 14 steals through May 2025 put him on pace for 40+, a mark no Cardinal has hit since 1997. His .357 OBP, with 13 walks and 18 runs scored by May 29, gives him chances to wreak havoc.
Scott’s speed forces errors. In a May 2025 game against the Dodgers, his steal and first-to-home sprint on a single led to a rushed throw by Mookie Betts, per MLB.com. Manager Oliver Marmol said, “Victor’s speed changes how teams play us. You bobble a ball, he’s gone.” This pressure has boosted St. Louis’ scoring, with Scott creating 12 runs above average, per FanGraphs. His .290 average and half his 2024 RBI total (10) in fewer games show growth. Gold and Blue Nation noted his new approach—focusing on contact and avoiding pitchers’ traps—has lifted his game.
In a lineup with sluggers like Nolan Arenado (.275, 8 HRs) and Jordan Walker (.268, 6 HRs), Scott’s speed from the bottom of the order sets up the top. His 1.2 WAR by May 29, per FanGraphs, already tops his 0.4 from 2024, showing his impact. A May 15 game saw him steal second and score on a single, flipping a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. As Marmol put it, “He’s a spark plug. He gets on, and things happen.”
Defensive Bonus
Scott’s speed shines in center field, too. The Cardinals lead MLB with 23 Outs Above Average in 2025, per Statcast, and Scott’s a big part. His 1.3 burst metric ranks top-20 among outfielders, though his -0.2 route efficiency needs work. A 10% probability catch against Pittsburgh on May 7 saved a run at 30.2 feet per second. X user @CardinalClips summed it up: “Scott’s glove and legs are saving runs and stealing bases. Kid’s a spark plug.” His defense keeps him in games, amplifying his base-running chances.
Challenges and Growth
Scott’s 2024 rookie woes (.179 average, 42 strikeouts in 145 at-bats) highlighted plate discipline issues. His 2025 Spring Training (.467 average, four steals) and .290 season average show progress, thanks to hitting coach Brant Brown. Still, his 25% strikeout rate (30 K’s in 120 at-bats) needs to drop to sustain his OBP. Defensively, his -0.2 route efficiency means he sometimes takes poor angles on fly balls. Marmol and coach Ron “Pop” Warner are sharpening his base-running decisions—early 2024 saw him go conservative (5-for-5 steals in 53 games). ESPN projects 35-40 steals if he keeps refining his reads.
Leave a comment