Victor Scott II’s outstanding spring training did not win him a position on the St. Louis Cardinals opening day roster. But he’ll be starting in centerfield on Thursday (March 28) on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
An ill-timed shoulder injury to outfielder Dylan Carson on Monday created the opportunity for Scott to make his Major League debut in what will be one of the most-watched games of the day.
Scott came to spring training as the reigning Gold Glove winner among all outfielders in the Cardinals’ minor league system.
His defensive credentials then stood out from day one in Jupiter, Florida, then Scott added an impressive slash line (batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage) of .316/.409/.368.
He also stole four bases and caught the eye of coaches, teammates and fans.
Starting outfielder Tommy Edman will be out several more weeks with an injured wrist and Lars Nootbaar’s fractured ribs have landed him on the injury list. Carson’s injury will keep him out “weeks not months,” according to John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations, giving Scott an extended chance to prove himself.
Scott seemed like a lock to be on the team’s roster based on his spring training performance. The Cardinals had another plan, though, announcing that Scott was destined for Triple A Memphis.
He kept a positive mental outlook, and in retrospect, his comments following the news he was going to Memphis sound prophetic.
“It would mean the world to me,” Scott told mlb.com about a Major League debut during the season.
“I know it’s not just me who has gotten here. God, first and foremost, my parents and coaches along the way — all those things in tangent have helped me get to this point. If it comes, I’ll probably be teary-eyed, for sure.”
Fate stepped in and Scott is headed to L.A. because Jordan Walker and Carson met while chasing a line drive in the right-center gap.
A 2022 fifth-round draft pick, Scott stole a staggering 94 bases between High-A Peoria (.282 batting average) and Double-A Springfield (.323) last year – with the help of some coaching by former Cardinal Vince Coleman.
He also batted a respectable .286 in the Arizona Fall League last October/November.
“He’s the starting centerfielder. If he’s here, he’s going to play. He’s here to play. I’m extremely excited to watch him,” St. Louis manager Ollie Marmol said Tuesday.
“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.”
Unless he severely struggles, Scott should not have to worry about a quick demotion to Memphis.
Last season, Walker was on the opening day roster and hit .275 during the opening two weeks of the season. Then he was inexplicably demoted to Triple-A.
Ironically, it was the Jordan-Carson collision that paved the way for Scott.
The Reid Roundup
Kevin Keats, North Carolina State coach, was on thin ice job wise entering the ACC Tournament two weeks ago. The Wolfpack then ran off five wins to win the tourney and secure an NCAA bid. Two wins later, Keats has him team in the Sweet 16…Black coaches joining Keats in the Sweet 16 are Houston’s Kelvin Sampson and Marquette’s Shaka Smart. NC State faces Marquette, with the winner advancing to the Elite Eight…James Jones, Yale’s coach, turned in the best performance as the NCAA Tournament opened last Thursday. He guided his Bulldogs to a stunning 78-76 victory of No. 4 seed Auburn…Congratulations to Grambling State University and coach Donte’ Jackson for topping Montana State 88-81 in an overtime NCAA Tournament First Four game. The Tigers hung tough with top-seed Purdue for a while before falling 78-50…If any MLB player other than Shohei Ohtani were involved in a gambling scandal of this magnitude, they would be suspended while the league investigated matters.
