SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The phrase “never bunt, hit dingers” has only become ubiquitous as baseball has adopted an all-out offensive approach in recent years. But in the case of Victor Scott IIequipped with 80 speed and limited power, the highest percentage play would actually involve dropping the ball and forcing the defense to try to punt it.
At least that’s what Cardinals’ No. 4 prospect tried to do in the bottom of the fifth inning during the Scottsdale game 6-5 defeat in Salt River at Scottsdale Stadium Friday night. But after committing a 1-0 foul, Scott immediately stepped back into the box and let his left swing rip, hitting his second Fall League home run late into the night.
“The way I play is just get on base and try to wreak havoc any way I can,” Scott said. “But it’s a good opportunity to give something a boost when he throws two sliders, and then you kind of know the fastball is coming.
“So now is the time to act.”
But if you were expecting Scott – with just 11 professional tours under his belt – to get greedy, think again. His next appearance at the plate in the seventh saw him lay down a clean bunt to the left side of the infield, extending the frame long enough to allow the tying run to roll home.
“During the offseason, I work with (one of my old coaches at home) and all we did was bunt, bunt, bunt, bunt,” Scott said. “Talking to him, he kind of looks at the box scores and follows me and he’s like, ‘Hey man, take it easy on those bunts, put them down and run.’”
Before his bat could electrify in Scottsdale, Scott tried to do it with his legs. After hitting an RBI single in the third, the 22-year-old quickly slid to second base. Due to an erroneous throw, he jumped and ran to third place. Knowing the timing of the catcher’s return throws to the mound was critical, as he returned home a few pitches later, the first time he had attempted to return home that way since college.
A warning response from right-handed pitcher Wilmer Flores (DET N°7) led to Scott getting caught at the plate, but that was just part of the devastation. Thanks to his pair of stolen bases Friday, he’s tied atop the Fall League leaderboard with 12 steals. Only three players have reached 20 steals in the AFL, with the single-season record being set at 24 by Rick Holifield in 1994.
About that speed. Scott gained national prominence this season for his drives, which took him to 94 stolen bases in 132 games between High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield, tied with Tampa’s Chandler Simpson for the title. most among minors. Sound 11.2 wSB Not only was he at the top of the minors in 2023, he more than doubled the mark of all but 17 other base stealers across the board.
Selected in the fifth round of the 2022 draft out of West Virginia University, Scott immediately set about tearing up the basepaths in the Florida State League. His 31-game foray with Single-A Palm Beach was so impressive in his first year that he started this year with Peoria, where he hit .282 and swiped 50 sacks, impressive enough with his complete package of prospects to earn an invitation to the 2023 SiriusXM All-Star Futures game.
Scott’s offensive numbers improved markedly in his first taste of the upper levels with Springfield, slashing .323/.373/.450 while providing exemplary defense in the middle of the field. If he had a bugaboo during the regular season, it came in the form of strikeouts, which of course limits his ability to impact the game with that 80 speed (including only eight U.S. prospects). minors are currently boasting). So far in the AFL, Scott has just five strikeouts in 61 at-bats, with nine walks to his name.
On October 9, Scott achieved a sprint speed of 31.3 ft/sec (30 ft/sec is considered “elite”) while tearing down the line for the Scorpions at Salt River Fields in Talking Stick, the only park in the Fall League equipped with Statcast Technology. This mark ties Ryan Vilade for the fastest single sprint speed recorded in the AFL since 2018.
“As soon as I get on base, teams start … trying to come up with a plan on what to do to maybe stop the running game or try to stop me from scoring “Scott said. “At this point, it’s kind of a chess game. If I move this piece, they move it – just keep playing.
