Cardinals' Victor Scott is wreaking havoc with his small-ball exploits

Victor Scott has a knack for trends. In 2025, he inadvertently coined the "youngry" motto for the St. Louis Cardinals, which caught on with players and fans. Now, he's bringing back a part of baseball that has gradually been disappearing from the sport, and he's executing it with aplomb.

Scott is bunting his way into the hearts of Cardinals fans.

Prior to the institution of the universal designated hitter, the sacrifice bunt was a much larger part of the game and an essential skill for pitchers when they strolled up to the plate. But with pitchers wielding bats going the way of the dodo, the sacrifice bunt has become a niche part of the game that fans only discuss in hushed tones away from judgmental analysts who condemn the practice.

Scott, though, is bringing the bunt back for the Cardinals. Over the offseason, Scott worked tirelessly on bunting, and the difference from last season has been stark. Last year, Scott successfully laid down 10 sacrifice bunts and fouled off or missed a whopping 32 bunt attempts. He is already nearly halfway to that sacrifice total in 2026, as he is tops in baseball with four sacrifice bunts. No other player has more than one.

The third-fastest player in the sport this season, Scott puts immense pressure on defenses even when they know a bunt is imminent. The Cardinals' victory over the Detroit Tigers on April 5 contained a perfect example of the threat Scott provides opponents. In the top of the fifth inning with runners on first and third, Scott executed a beautiful safety squeeze bunt that scored Nathan Church. As a bonus, Scott's jets forced pitcher Enmanuel De Jesus to throw the ball wide of first base, allowing Scott and Pedro Pages to advance to second and third base, respectively.

Bunting isn't the only tool Scott brings to the table. When he reaches first base, he can do further damage. Scott has stolen two bases thus far on the season, getting caught once, and STLToday's Ben Hochman believes Scott can swipe 50 bags this year after he went 34-for-38 in steal attempts in 2025.

After hitting just .216 with a .601 OPS last year, Scott reworked his swing with the Cardinals' new training staff, making it shorter and more compact — the ideal mechanics for a player of his ilk. So far, it looks like it's paying off, as he's hitting .310 and holds a .655 OPS. Scott's improvement this season has been remarkable, and his unique traits are rapidly elevating him into one of the game's most exciting players.