Get up to speed on lightning fast Cards prospect

This story was excerpted from John Denton’s Cardinals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

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:

RHP Tekoah Roby: The prized piece of the return in the trade that sent lefty Jordan Montgomery to the World Series champion Rangers, Roby struggled through an awful start in his Arizona finale. He allowed a solo home run, a grand slam and four walks while squandering an early nine-run lead to which he had been staked. A Fall Ball All-Star, Roby struck out 18 hitters in 13 2/3 innings pitched.

RHP Andre Granillo: The 2021 14th-round pick has become a standout player to watch in Spring Training thanks to the steely toughness he has shown while closing games with a four-seam fastball that usually ranges between 94 and 97 mph. After compiling a 30.1 percent strikeout rate in Double-A and Triple-A, he fanned 14 batters in 10 innings and compiled a 1.80 ERA to go with three saves in Arizona.

LHP Cooper Hjerpe: The No. 22 overall pick in 2022 saw his first pro season interrupted by arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow. However, he returned in Arizona to pitch 8 1/3 innings over seven games of relief. Hjerpe’s crossfire release and plus slider confused hitters to the tune of 15 strikeouts and a .167 batting average against.

RHPs Edwin Nunez and Inohan Paniagua: The 22-year-old Nunez, a Dominican Republic product, is an intriguing prospect with a fastball that has touched 100 mph before. He pitched Single-A Peoria into the playoffs despite seeing his strikeout rate fall to 19 percent. In Arizona, he saved two games and compiled a 2.53 ERA in eight games. Paniagua’s Minor League season was delayed by a shoulder issue, but he rallied to pitch his way to Arizona. However, the long ball was a serious issue during the Fall Ball season as he allowed six home runs in 16 2/3 innings pitched.

Scott: In addition to the stellar .417 slugging percentage and .388 on-base percentage that he posted, Scott held up against some top pitching by striking out just eight times and walking 12 times in 23 games. Scott has admitted to trying to hit for power a little too often while in college at West Virginia, but he did crank a team-best three home runs in Arizona.

Catcher Jimmy Crooks: The Oklahoma University product, who was a fourth-round pick by the Cardinals in 2022, saw limited playing time in Arizona despite posting a stellar season with Peoria (team highs with 12 home runs, 29 doubles and 73 RBIs). He finally broke out of a 2-for-21 slump with a single, double, walk and three RBIs late in the Arizona Fall League to finish on a high note.

Shortstop Jeremy Rivas: The 20-year-old Venezuelan, who was signed for $600,000 in 2019, continued to flash the leather, but he offered very little at the plate. Having never posted a WRC+ greater than 78 in the Minor Leagues, Rivas hit just .230 and had seven walks compared to 22 strikeouts in 21 Arizona Fall League games. The Cardinals chose not to add him to the 40-man roster before Tuesday’s deadline, meaning he could be plucked by another club in the December Rule 5 Draft.