JUPITER, Fla. — One of the best parts about spring training every year is getting to know the up-and-coming talent for the St. Louis Cardinals. In recent years we've met Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn in spring camp, and now they've become essential pieces of the Cardinals puzzle.
This spring, we're getting a chance to meet the next key piece to the Cardinals' future. And outfielder Victor Scott II has some special talent.
Scott II has wasted no time making his presence felt. In one of the team's first games, Scott already registered the game's hardest-hit ball, fastest sprint speed and the hardest throw by a fielder.
The son of two track stars stole 94 bases in the minor leagues last season and won a gold glove (one of just nine given out across the entire minor leagues). For reference, MLB's stolen base leader was MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. He stole 73 bags.
Scott II has known about his game-breaking speed for a while.
"I kind of noticed I was a little bit faster than everyone else in elementary school. We'd be doing sprints or having fun outside on the playground... I'd catch a football pass and just take off and the next thing I knew I was leaving people. I remember telling my dad, 'I think I'm getting faster than people'. And he was like, 'Yeah I'd expect you would,'" Scott II said at Cardinals spring training camp in Jupiter, Florida.
These days, a player who excels on the basepaths at the rate Scott II does seems like an outlier, and perhaps even better suited for a bygone era of baseball. Scott II knows he's a throwback.
"I'm hearing the term 'Whiteyball' a lot when it comes to stealing bases and putting yourself in scoring position. I'm hearing that term a lot. So my game is really important because it stands out. Today's game deals with slugging percentage and OPS which are definitely variables that need to be paid attention to, but I feel like with singles and stolen bases it adds a different element to the game. Other than just the long ball, now you have fans scooting to the edge of their seats and waiting for a stolen base or first to third opportunity. It all just amounts to getting on base and putting yourself in scoring position so those power guys behind you can gather some RBIs," Scott II said.
But don't take my word for Scott's speed. His teammates have seen it firsthand.
"He might break the stolen base record. I don't know what the stolen base record is, but he might break it," Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker said.
"This guy is insanely fast. I've never seen someone faster on a baseball field," Cardinals minor league Pitcher of the Year for 2023 Max Rajcic said.
"You can know he's running and he's still gonna run and find a way to change the game and give his team the edge," Cardinals pitching prospect Tink Hence said.
Scott II said he's looking forward to being a sponge at this camp in Jupiter and learning from the veterans. One Cardinals legend he's already been able to learn from is speedster Vince Coleman. Scott II was able to pick the Cardinals Hall of Famer's brain a bit in the middle of his breakout 2023 campaign.
"One of the biggest takeaways I had was to get in the classroom and really understand what the pitchers are telling you. Pitchers often don't realize it but they have certain tendencies that lead them to picking up their front foot, or picking off. So if I know those things beforehand, I can get a good jump and put myself in scoring position," Scott II said about what he learned from Coleman.
When he's not stealing bases or winning minor league gold gloves, Scott can be found in the studio, perfecting his latest rap/R&B track. Music is a passion for the 23-year-old from Georgia.
"It started at an early age. I was in chorus growing up in my elementary school. I couldn't really sing back then, but started to grow into a better voice. And I was in my sophomore year of college and my friend was like, 'Man I think you should try it out in the studio. Just see how it goes.' Then after that somebody told me I was good, so I was like, 'I think I like this as like therapy or meditation.' And after that I just kept rolling with it," Scott II said.
And yes, in case you were wondering, he does use his own music for his walk-up song at the plate.
Scott II's rapid rise from 2022 draft pick out of the University of West Virginia to the most-talked-about-prospect in 2024 spring camp has gone as fast as one of his trips around the bases.
It may not be long before we hear his music at Busch Stadium before he walks to the plate for his MLB debut. But for now, Scott II is content to keep growing and putting his total game together.
"I would just say it's all been about learning and growth. And being able to kind of move on from failures and learn from them, because we all know that baseball is a game of failure. But just growing up being an athlete first other than a baseball player and now starting to intertwine the two, and starting to put my athletic ability with the baseball IQ. Which was huge. And it just came with maturity and being around other pro guys and seeing how they do it. I feel like that has taken my game on the incline," Scott II said about his rise through the organization.
Want more local sports delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the 5 On Your Side Sports Plus newsletter.