Cardinals News: Victor Scott II's revamped swing is already showing dividends

After a brief stint at the majors, rookie center fielder Victor Scott II went to Triple-A Memphis to do some retooling of his offensive profile. With the help of hitting instructor Ryan Ludwick, a former Cardinal outfielder himself, Scott was able to make some major changes to his stance and swing profile.

Victor Scott II was recalled this past week to fill in for the injured Michael Siani after the latter went down with an oblique injury. Siani's injury came at a bad time, as he was just starting to get going offensively, and his defense in center field was among the best in baseball this year.

The clip below shows Scott's approach during his first stint at the majors paired with his most recent stance. I'm no batting stance analyst, but the differences are very clear.

Victor Scott II has added a nice leg kick to bring more of his momentum forward as the ball approaches the plate. He's also keeping his hips back to generate more torque on his swing. Lastly, his arms and hands are in a lifted position. In his old stance, he had to move them back prior to swinging; now, his hands are set long before the ball reaches the plate. This saves him time as he swings.

In June, Scott had a slugging percentage of just .289 in Memphis. He added .100 points to that figure in July, and he started August with a .421 slugging percentage in just 19 at-bats. The changes in his swing were paying dividends quickly at the minor league level.

A premature promotion to start the season set Scott's development back slightly. Multiple injuries to outfielders like Tommy Edman and Dylan Carlson forced the organization's hand, and they had to start the center fielder at the majors earlier than expected. He's now being given a second chance for the same reason, but there's plenty of reason to be more optimistic this time around.

The adjustments Victor Scott II made in the minors paid dividends very quickly, as he hit his first major league home run on August 6th, his first day up from the minors. The ball left his bat at 99.7 MPH with a launch angle of 33 degrees, and it traveled 391 feet.

Scott's defense has always been stellar regardless of the level he's played, but his offense has lagged behind. In a post-game interview, Scott touched on how it felt to see his hard work pay off.

"That honestly felt so great (to see it clear the wall). Just to put in the work and see results is always a great thing."

Victor Scott II

While the Cardinals would be happy with Scott's Gold-Glove caliber defense alone, if he can produce offensively with his new approach, he could help the team tremendously. The postseason is mere weeks away, and the Cardinals could use all of the help they can get as they make a push for a playoff berth.