Cardinals' Victor Scott II Facing Time Crunch Amid Early Struggles

Victor Scott II needs to break out soon.

May 4, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II (11) loses his helmet as he runs after hitting a double against the Milwaukee Brewers during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have found ways to win despite having torn down their roster last offseason. Gone are Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan, but their younger players are certainly performing well and taking advantage of their opportunities.

However, one player in particular hasn't quite found his groove just yet. Outfielder Victor Scott II shines on defense and on the base paths, but his bat has yet to get going.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report listed Scott as a player that the Cardinals desperately need to break out, but also noted that he is facing a time crunch with Lars Nootbaar close to returning.

Victor Scott II facing time crunch

Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II (11) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

"Early last season, it looked like this speedster who hit .303 and stole 94 bases in the minors in 2023 was figuring things out," Miller wrote. "However, after homering in the first game after the All-Star Break, Scott triple-slashed .168/.275/.212 the rest of the way. And that .487 OPS is virtually identical to the .485 mark he is at roughly one-fourth of the way into the current campaign.

"Even Scott's defense in center hasn't been anywhere near as valuable as it was last season, so he might be out of a job once Lars Nootbaar is healthy enough to make his 2026 debut."

In addition to Nootbaar's impending return, the Cardinals have also gotten a lot out of Nathan Church in center field. His defense has been superb and he is also hitting more consistently that Scott, so when Nootbaar comes back, he'll likely assume the starting left field job while Church takes over center field.

That could lead the Cardinals to send Scott down to Triple-A Memphis. While this is a year in which the Cardinals are trying to see what they have in young players, it also is becoming clear which young players are going to be a part of the next core.

Scott may be running out of time to ensure he becomes a part of that core. If he can't break out soon, then the Cardinals may have their answer on who their starting center fielder will be, and Church will likely be the frontrunner for that job.

It will be interesting to see if Scott can pull it together soon, but it looks like time is running out for him to stake his claim as the team's starting center fielder, especially with Nootbaar on the way back.