Last season, St. Louis Cardinals’ No. 4 prospect, Victor Scott II gave fans a bit of a scare with his lackluster performance. After showing massive promise in Double-A, Scott slumped through 2024, hitting only .210 with six home runs in Triple-A. His major league performance was even more discouraging, posting a .129 batting average with two homers.
Scott earned a favorable ranking in the Cardinals’ farm system thanks to his staggering speed, which allows him to fly around the bases as well as field any outfield position like a Gold Glover. On the 20-80 grading scale, scouts from MLB pipeline gave Scott a remarkable 70 for fielding and a perfect 80 for speed. After 2024, it appeared his big-league ceiling could have been as a bench piece with exceptional speed and a top-notch glove; but this season, Scott has handily flipped the script.
Scott appears to have hit his stride in the majors. But while Scott is doing well, another former top prospect is not, and that's Jordan Walker.
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Jordan Walker’s tenure in St. Louis is looking like a bust
Scott is slashing .289/.359/.412/.771 with two home runs, dispelling any concerns about how his bat plays in the big leagues. However, his speed still on the basepaths still outshines his other feats. In 12 attempts, he has stolen 11 bases; but isn’t just his ability to steal bases that give the Cardinals an edge. Here’s footage of Scott scoring from first:
As recently as 2023, Walker was MLB pipeline’s No. 4 prospect. In his first two years as a professional, Walker flashed exceptional contact-hitting talent with budding power. Walker made his MLB debut that year hitting .276 with 16 home runs in 420 at-bats. Unfortunately, that was the last we saw of Walker’s star potential.
Walker’s sophomore year went poorly, producing a batting average of .201. Now in his third year on the Major-League level, Walker is slashing a mere .196/.262/.268/.530 with two home runs in 112 at-bats.
At this point, Walker is looking like a lost cause. The Cardinals have very little room for Walker or the expectations of what he still might become as they cling tight to a ,500 record in a competitive NL Central. It seems like Walker’s time in St. Louis is coming to an end if he can’t turn it around soon.