Cardinals top prospect now gets the chance to prove initial send-down was mistake

On Tuesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Cardinals prospect Victor Scott II will be making the Opening Day roster. This move comes after long-time Cardinals outfielder, Dylan Carlson was placed on the injured list with an AC joint sprain. Goold has also reported that Carlson will miss weeks, that it's "not a matter of months," before he returns. So, Scott being with the team could be temporary, depending on his play.

Scott was initially sent down as rosters were being cut down before the season gets underway, but now gets the chance to prove himself at the big league level with this roster spot opening up. Coming out of last season, it seemed like the Cardinals' outfield may have been a little too log-jammed to make room for new players.

However, with the Carlson news, Lars Nootbaar officially being placed on the injured list, and the Tyler O'Neill trade from earlier in the offseason, St. Louis has some room to play with for their younger guys, and Scott will get his turn on Opening Day.

What does Victor Scott II bring to the table?

The first thing that is going to pop off the screen when you watch Scott: the speed. According to MLB Pipeline, his speed is an 80 on the 20-80 scale, meaning he immediately becomes one of the fastest players in the league with elite speed. Across High-A and Double-A in 2023, he stole 94 bases in 132 games, which is pretty mind-boggling. Expect him to continue to steal bases at a high pace.

As far as at the plate, he doesn't necessarily have a standout tool, but he had a solid year in 2023. He slashed .303/.369/.425 with nine home runs and 63 RBIs across his two levels, even earning him a slot at the Futures Game. He's not going to provide tons of home run pop, but he hit 20 doubles and 10 triples last season, so there is some slug upside in there from that standpoint.

Defensively, Pipeline has his glove rated as a 70. He will provide plus-plus defense in centerfield right away.

Scott won't bring lots of pop or flash at the plate, but when he gets on the bases, he's going to be very fun. It will be appointment viewing.

What does Victor Scott II's inclusion mean long term?

This one is tricky, to be quite honest. Nootbaar is in no danger of losing his job, but I'm more interested to see what this means for Dylan Carlson. A former top prospect and third-place finisher in Rookie of the Year voting, he has struggled to meet expectations.

For the past two years, he has been a below-league-average hitter and has not had an OPS above .700. Obviously, a lot is dependent on how Scott performs in the time he's on the field. However, Carlson's name did come up a few times in trade rumors, so it could be an interesting couple of months in St. Louis.

Even if it's not permanent, what Victor Scott II will provide will be exciting for the time he is in the everyday lineup. Baseball fans will probably see lots of his highlights, defensively and on the bases featuring Scott. And to make things even more fun, he's wearing number 11. So his jersey will read "Scott 11."