Cardinals’ Victor Scott II Puts His Speed To Good Use
Shortly after getting his sure hands on the minor league Gold Glove, center fielder Victor Scott II sat on a dais and addressed a dinner hall packed with Cardinals fans.
He explained, at the 64th annual St. Louis Baseball Writers’ Dinner, how the number 100 has special meaning in baseball, from throwing a 100 mph fastball to hitting with a 100 mph exit velocity.
And then there’s the century mark the 23-year-old Scott is chasing: 100 stolen bases.
Scott stole 94 bases to lead the minors in his first full season of pro ball. The 2022 fifth-rounder out of West Virginia raced up the prospect rankings with a .303/.369/.425 season that culminated with 66 games at Double-A Springfield.
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.”
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,” 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.”
REDBIRD CHIRPS
— In addition to Scott, the Cardinals’ list of non-roster invites to spring training includes righthanders Tink Hence, Tekoah Roby, Gordon Graceffo and Andre Granillo; catcher Leonardo Bernal, second baseman Thomas Saggese and two of the organization’s recent first-round picks in righthander Michael McGreevy and lefthander Cooper Hjerpe.
— Branneli Franco, a hard-throwing 16-year-old righthander from the Dominican Republic, headlined the Cardinals’ first wave of international signings. The 6-foot-3 Franco has a fastball that hums around 91-93 mph but also a lean frame and athleticism that projects to higher velocities as he advances and builds strengths. He has a natural feel for a curveball. With an international bonus pool reduced by signing free agent Willson Contreras a year ago, the Cardinals see their sweet spot as the mid-range talents, and they secured Franco with a bonus less than $1 million.
