Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The St. Louis Cardinals have surprised many with their strong 23-17 start to the MLB season, defying expectations of a rebuilding year.
- One young player has seen his struggles escalate to the point where the team must consider moving on to focus on more productive options.
- The decision to cut ties with this former top prospect hinges on both his offensive failures and unexpected regression in areas where he once excelled.
At 23-17, the St. Louis Cardinals are one of MLB's biggest surprises to this point. What was expected to be a rebuilding year has been better than anyone could've expected, and it's thanks largely to some of former top prospects emerging. Not only does JJ Wetherholt look like an immediate star, but Jordan Walker is off to the best start of his career thus far.
Not all young players are flourishing in St. Louis right now, though, and Victor Scott II is a prime example of that. Once one of the top prospects in the Cardinals' system, Scott's struggles have reached a point where a suddenly contending team should consider moving on.
Victor Scott II has not hit enough to warrant a big-league roster spot
Virtually all of Scott's issues lies at the plate. He was never known for his bat, even as a prospect, but it's been nothing but bad for him at the big-league level. He's posted a .563 OPS in 229 MLB games across parts of three seasons and somehow, it's been worse for him in 2026, as his .186/.252/.237 slash line attests.
Among the 213 players with at least 110 plate appearances this season, Scott's 43 wRC+ is good for 208th. Among the 257 players with at least 700 plate appearances since Scott's debut season in 2024, his 63 wRC+ is good for 255th. He has been one of the worst hitters in the sport both this season and ever since he debuted.
At some point, the Cardinals will have to cut their losses and admit that Scott will never hit enough to warrant a spot in the Majors — and it's not as if Scott is helping in other areas either.
Victor Scott II has regressed in areas he previously thrived
There were always question marks about whether Scott would hit enough to stick, but his defense and base-running were his calling cards. Well, let's check on how he's done in those areas this season.
After ranking in the 99th percentile with 17 Outs Above Average in 2025, Scott has ranked in the 82nd percentile with just two OAA this season. Scott has been an above-average defender, but he was a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder last season. This might be an unfair critique, but if Scott isn't one of the best in baseball in that department, can even above-average defense offset the lack of offense he provides?
Even while Scott didn't reach base much in 2025, he still stole 34 bases in 38 tries in 2025, proving to be one of the league's most imposing speed threats. Well, Scott has just six steals in nine tries this season. He's been caught just one fewer time this season in 29 fewer attempts, and after ranking in the 94th percentile in base-running value, he's down to the 45th percentile this season. He might have as much speed as anyone, but he's been a subpar runner regardless.
Scott struggling at the dish is one thing, but the 25-year-old regressing in the field and on the base paths was unexpected — and is even more reason for the Cardinals to make a change.
Cardinals have Victor Scott II alternatives to consider
It's not as if the Cardinals have no other options to the point where they're stuck with playing Scott on a daily basis. In fact, they have several players worth turning to.
Joshua Baez
The most exciting of these options is Joshua Baez, the No. 38 prospect on FanSided's top 100 list. While Baez has hit a 1-for-17 slump over his past four games, he had a .836 OPS and a 117 wRC+ on the year for Triple-A Memphis before that. The strikeouts are a concern, and Baez's floor is lower than Cardinals fans would probably like to admit, but he has immense power while being a primary center fielder. His ceiling is incredibly high. He might need time to adjust, but the bar is so low that this could be worth a shot.
Nathan Church
The easiest Scott replacement is Nathan Church, a player who has been a consistent starter against righties this season. The Cardinals have been using Church in left field primarily, but he can play center field as well, and it's worth noting that Lars Nootbaar is very close to starting a rehab assignment as well.
Once Nootbaar is ready to return, which could be the end of the month, the Cardinals are likely to play him every day. This means that someone in the Cardinals outfield has to lose his starting spot. That player figured to be Church to begin the year, but why should it be? Church has a .716 OPS, proving to be an average hitter if not a tick above, while Scott has been a disaster. An outfield of Nootbaar, Church and Walker might be the Cardinals' best chance to win.
Thomas Saggese
Scott has been the Cardinals' primary center fielder this season, but he's notably sat in each of the Cardinals' last two games in favor of Thomas Saggese, who has played left field while Nathan Church has shifted to center field. Saggese, a former top prospect in his own right, also hasn't hit much, but that's in much less of an opportunity.
Scott has 229 games and 730 plate appearances in his career, while Saggese has 120 games and 410 plate appearances. Scott has just about double the action in his career, and while Saggese hasn't hit much in the majors, he was more of a potent hitter in the minors. If Saggese doesn't work out, at least the Cardinals will know that they gave him a fair shot. He deserves to have a consistent run of starts at this point.
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