Making an appearance on the MLB Network, former West Virginia outfielder Victor Scott II took a break from his busy in-season schedule and shared some insights about his swing and his approach in the batters’ box. Those who caught the interview on the MLB Network were able to get an in-depth look at the St. Louis Cardinals’ starting center fielder.
Discussing several topics from facing flamethrower Paul Skenes, to changing his batting stance from last season, to hitting his first home run this season, Scott II shared several little nuggets of knowledge and perspective on the sport while in the studio last Wednesday.
What is @Victor_Scott2 thinking when he's in the batter's box?
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 18, 2025
The @Cardinals OF joins us in-studio to break down his offensive approach, hitting against Paul Skenes and more.#MLBCentral | #ForTheLou pic.twitter.com/HUWnR3m3E2
If any Mountaineer fans caught Scott II’s interview, they probably were very interested in learning more about the former WVU outfielder’s swing and his game plan while hitting. Starting the 2025 season, Scott II was named the starting centerfielder for Opening Day. With a .242 batting average, one home run, and 16 RBIs, he has gotten off to a pretty good start in his sophomore season. Using his blazing speed, Scott II has also swiped seven bags to begin the 2025 MLB season.
A breakdown in his swing: Victor Scott II talks about his swing on MLB Network
Scott II was asked on MLB Network if he always had a narrow batting stance, giving him an opportunity to explain how his approach to lining up at the plate has evolved.
“No, I haven't. Last year I was in a no-stride and wide opened. Yeah, just wide, just no stride," he said. "And it was kind of eliminating some of my athleticism. I couldn't necessarily use it in the in the ways that I wanted to. But here, kind of working in the off season studying the game more, talking with Brant Brown, just understanding that I'm really athletic and how to use that in a swing, so this is kind of where we started to cook,” Scott II said.
From 2020-2022, Scott II spent his time playing outfield for the Mountaineers. In June 2022, Scott II heard his name called as the draft pick for the St. Louis Cardinals in the fifth round. A couple of years later, Scott’s former WVU teammate and Mountaineer great JJ Wetherholt was also selected by the Cardinals, pairing them up together in the same organization. For Wetherholt he was drafted seventh in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Looking at Scott II’s Baseball Savant, two areas jump off the page: base running/speed and defensive metrics. Ranking in the 99th percentile for the MLB in sprint speed, the former Mountaineer has an amazing 29.8 ft/s sprint speed. Combined with the speed, his 2 fielding sun value ranks him in the 95th percentile of the MLB. Baseball Savant uses red to mark players that are ranked high in certain areas, and Scott II’s fielding and running values are blood red.