Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Cardinals Speedster Flying Under the Radar Entering 2026

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Feb 8, 2026 1:35 PM ET

When the 2026 Major League Baseball season kicks off, the St. Louis Cardinals are going to have one of the youngest rosters in baseball.

That's by design and is a positive for the long-term health of the organization. St. Louis did a good job opening up spaces on the roster throughout the offseason by trading Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray and Brendan Donovan. Now, the club really is going to need to see what they have with this young roster.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Last year, this idea was discussed a lot, but the execution wasn't necessarily there. The Cardinals wanted to trade veterans away, but didn't end up getting deals done. They talked about "runway" guys, like Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman, but there were still surpluses across the roster. Gorman specifically felt the brunt of a lack of at-bats at times. Now, the Cardinals have a nearly-blank slate heading into 2026. This has led to a lot of buzz around guys like JJ Wetherholt, who has a real shot at making his MLB debut quickly in 2026, and the rotation.

The Cardinals center fielder should have a big year ahead

Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

As the season inches closer, we'll likely hear a lot more about Wetherholt, Gorman and Walker specifically. One guy who hasn't been talked about a lot throughout the offseason, but who very well could be the team's underrated player heading into the 2026 campaign is center fielder Victor Scott II.

Scott is just 24 years old and played in 138 games in 2025 as the team's primary center fielder. He slashed .216/.305/.296 with five homers, 37 RBIs, 34 stolen bases, 15 doubles and 54 runs scored. He was a 2.2-WAR player in his first full season in the big leagues.

What sets him apart is his defense. In 2025, Scott was in the 99th percentile in outs above average with 17. That's elite, obviously. He also was in the 100th percentile in sprint speed, 96th percentile in fielding run value and 94th percentile in baserunning run value. Now, he's entering his second full season in the big leagues and third overall. If he already was at that level in 2025, imagine what he could look like in 2026 if his bat really comes around?

At this point next year, we should be talking about Scott as a Gold Glove Award winner and he has the upside to be a big-time contributor on offense. He hasn't been talked about a lot this offseason, but that should change quickly as the season kicks off.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: