Victor Scott has earned 1 more chance to evolve into a dynamic Cardinals weapon

Victor Scott is back in the major leagues, and he's turned a corner over the past month. The only question is, can St. Louis Cardinals fans believe it this time?

The Cardinals were hoping center field would be in good hands for the 2026 season, as they expected Scott to make a leap in his third major league season. After a few games, it appeared he had done just that, as his bunting exploits made him one of the most unique and exciting players in the sport.

The fun didn't last, as a steep drop-off that ultimately had him hitting just .194 with a .534 OPS gave the Cardinals no choice but to send him packing to Memphis on June 8. He continued to struggle there, hitting .215 with a .625 OPS and an unimpressive 10 stolen bases across June and July. But after a strong August that saw him hit .270 and swipe 13 bases, there might still be a glimmer of hope that Scott can provide results at the highest level.

The user STLSports pointed out on X that around July 25, Scott adjusted his batting stance, and positive results soon followed. It's not the first time that Scott has changed his hitting setup: During spring training, he arrived with a noticeably different stance, but long-term results failed to materialize. Because of this, there's plenty of reason to be skeptical about whether Scott's recent improvement can translate to the big leagues. But if he can just show moderate progress in the batter's box, Scott can bring a dangerous new dimension to the Cardinals offense.

Victor Scott needs to add the stolen base back to the St. Louis Cardinals' toolbox

The Cardinals need Scott to distract opposing pitchers and strike fear in their catchers again. In his time with the Cardinals in 2026, Scott appeared hesitant to steal bases, and when he did attempt to pilfer a bag, the results weren't up to par. Scott managed nine steals in his 61 major league games, but he was caught four times, which matched the number of times he had been nabbed in 38 major league steal attempts in 2025.

An article in FanGraphs noted that the stolen base is on the decline across baseball once again after experiencing a renaissance in 2023 when MLB increased the size of the bases and limited pickoff attempts in an attempt to promote more baserunning action.

The Cardinals, however, are bucking this troubling trend, as they have 87 stolen bases as of Sept. 1 after stealing 89 bases in 2025. Much of this can be attributed to Jordan Walker's breakout, as he holds a career-high 18 steals, which is tops on the team, The Cardinals rank 17th among teams in total stolen bases, but they have the potential for so much more.

Scott has the attributes to add a jolt to the Cardinals' baserunning exploits, and fans who are nostalgic for the "Whiteyball" era of small-ball and steals are praying for Scott to succeed. If he can deliver that sort of action, the Cardinals may become one of baseball's most exciting teams to watch.

Luckily for those fans and for Scott, there isn't much competition for center field reps in 2027, assuming the season isn't wiped out because of a lockout. Nathan Church looks to be the main obstacle for Scott to receive playing time, and on the farm, there aren't many major league-caliber players ready to take over the spot: Tai Peete and Trevor Condon are still a ways away from the big leagues, and Memphis' outfield roster of Chase Davis, Zach Levenson, Colton Ledbetter and Bligh Madris isn't knocking the door down to St. Louis.

Scott is now firmly in the "post-hype sleeper" stage of his career, and although a breakout resembling Walker's doesn't seem likely since Scott never wielded a threatening bat, if Scott can avoid another faceplant in the majors and improve from being one of the worst non-catcher hitters in modern history, and if he can remedy his stealing jitters at the major leagues, there's still a chance for Scott to reclaim his title as the Cardinals' center fielder of the future.

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