The daydreaming for Victor Scott II will become reality on Thursday when he sees his name on the Opening Day lineup card for the St. Louis Cardinals.
“It would mean the world to me,” Scott told MLB.com last week about making his big league debut. “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.
“So, if it comes, I’ll probably be teary-eyed, for sure, if [an MLB promotion] comes.”
Megan Briggs/Getty Images
The Cardinals learned that outfielder Dylan Carlson will miss several weeks with a sprained AC join in his left shoulder Tuesday after colliding with Jordan Walker which has cleared a path for Scott to make his big league debut on Opening Day.
“[Victor Scott II] is the starting center fielder,” manager Oliver Marmol said on Tuesday. “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.”
With Dylan Carlson spraining his AC joint on Monday, Victor Scott II will be part of the #STLCards‘ Opening Day roster. John Mozeliak: “It’s going to be (a challenge), but the one thing we know about Victor Scott is he’s a talented defender, and certainly will help our outfield.” pic.twitter.com/uiplydtC6Q
— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) March 26, 2024
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said that Carlson would not be traveling to Los Angeles with the team for the season-opening series against the Dodgers and would instead be traveling to St. Louis.
Scott was drafted in the fifth round out of West Virginia and hasn’t played above Double-A. He did have a strong 2023 season split between Single-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield that secured him a Gold Glove for his play in center field and he stole 94 bases.
He was invited to big league camp as a non-roster invite and shot up the prospect rankings from No. 29 to No. 4 according to MLB Pipeline.
“He has a quiet confidence to him and he goes about it really well,” Marmol said of Scott, who carried a notebook with him around camp to jot down notes during film sessions and team meetings. “He just put his head down and got to work. He went about it like a pro and now he’s got a shot which is awesome.”
Scott hit .316 with one triple, five walks, and four stolen bases in 13 games this spring.
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