Not long after finding out that he would be competing in the Arizona Fall League along with top prospects seemingly on the doorstep of an MLB callup, Cardinals speedster Victor Scott II immediately had two names come to mind.
Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn -- two of the best young players in the Cardinals' system, both of whom made the jump from the 2022 Arizona Fall League to Major League Baseball in 2023 -- were at the forefront of Scott’s thoughts.
Scott, who soared to the No. 4 ranking in the Cards' farm system after stealing 94 bases while splitting time between Single-A and Double-A in 2023, is hoping that a strong performance in this year’s Arizona Fall League might help him follow in the footsteps of two players he’s long admired.
“I see Masyn and [Walker] and what they did last year, and I want to follow in their footsteps,” Scott said. “I mean, really, the steps have been laid out there and if I can keep being the player that I am -- a consistent and humble guy who is willing to follow the steps within God’s plan -- I might have a shot to be a big leaguer next year. That would be awesome.”
In recent years, the Arizona Fall League has been a perfect launching pad for many of the Cardinals’ top young players. In 2021, Lars Nootbaar, Nolan Gorman, Brendan Donovan, Jordan Hicks, Andre Pallante and Juan Yepez used strong play in Fall Ball to reach the big leagues in 2022. Last year, Walker and Winn were Arizona standouts, and both ultimately reached the Cardinals in 2023 -- Walker was on the Opening Day roster, while Winn was promoted following strong play at the Triple-A level.
The 23-year-old Scott, a fifth-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, carried over his stellar Minor League season to Arizona. In 23 Fall League games, Scott hit .286 with an impressive .388 on-base percentage while doubling twice, homering three times and driving in eight runs. Recently named a Minor League Gold Glove winner by Rawlings, Scott used his blinding speed to steal another 18 bases in 21 tries in Arizona.
The Cardinals contingent of prospects played for the Scottsdale Scorpions, which fell one win shy of the league championship game. Understanding that numerous Cardinals have used the Arizona Fall League as a springboard to the big leagues in the past two seasons, here is a breakdown of the Cardinals’ top performers from the Fall Ball season: