Heading into the 2024 season, the St. Louis Cardinals will be relying on several young players to carry the weight on offense. While the lineup is still anchored by Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Willson Contreras, the team will be counting on some precocious prospects and new faces to finally put it all together.
One of the team’s young veterans, Lars Nootbaar, will be entering his fourth Major League season and coming off a 2023 season where he hit .261 with 14 HR and 46 RBI. He led the team in wins above replacement (3.3). Those are solid numbers. However, they fell short of expectations for a player that the Cardinals want to see take the next step.
2024 could very well be that turning point for Nootbaar. Thus far in spring training, he’s been hitting in the three-spot in the lineup most days. That’s prime real estate for a guy looking to put up huge numbers and potentially even make the NL All-Star team.
Will 2024 be Lars Nootbaar’s Year?
Nootbaar, 26, knows it’s a big year himself, as he stated in a recent interview. If things hold to form, he’ll likely bat in between Goldschmidt and Arenado. Needless to say, that means he’ll see a lot of pitches to hit. The way Nootbaar is looking at things, this is the opportunity he’s been waiting for his whole life.
“I’ve always been a dreamer,” Nootbaar recently told John Denton of mlb.com. “Even when I was a little kid, whether it was Pop Warner [youth football], Little League, or making the varsity [team], I would dream about throwing the big touchdown.”
When Lars Nootbaar dreams, his mind is usually full of these thoughts: What kind of player can he become for the #STLCards ? A superstar? An All-Star? A solid, everyday player?
He’s dreaming of hitting it big after working with Mark McGwire this winter.
“Now, I lie in bed and wonder, ‘What I can be in this game?’ I would always wonder in Babe Ruth [youth baseball], high school, and the Minor Leagues, ‘Does what I’m doing play in the big leagues?’ Now that I have some experience at this level, I realize it can. But there have to be changes that need to be made and that’s why I’ve always been a player who is versatile and adjustable.”
“But really, I see no reason why I can’t become who I want to be if I continue to work.”
Nootbaar Went to Work in the Offseason
Lars Nootbaar was an eighth-round selection by the Cardinals in the 2018 MLB Draft and advanced through the Redbird ranks rather quickly. He was part of a group of talented young outfielders that included teammate Dylan Carlson and the now-departed Tyler O’Neill.
Since then, a new batch of stars has emerged in St. Louis, including fellow outfielder Jordan Walker and the multi-talented shortstop, Masyn Winn. Along the way, it seemed as if Nootbaar had gotten lost in the shuffle.
Nootbaar spent the offseason working out with Nolan Arenado, and Arenado’s brother, Jonah – who also played professionally in the Giants’ organization. He says his teammate has helped him out tremendously.
“I knew I had a flaw,” Nootbaar said when speaking with The Athletic. “Who hits the ball really well into the air, pull-side? Nolan Arenado does. Probably a good guy to lean on for that.”
“I don’t think people realize how much power he actually has. When he’s using his legs the proper way, he hits the crap out of the baseball.”
Lars Nootbaar wants to add power to his game. Here’s how the Arenado brothers helped him prep his swing to do so.
Because of that offseason regime, Lars Nootbaar comes into 2024 with a retooled swing. Jonah Nootbaar says he thinks that the outfielder will produce a lot more pop now.
“I don’t think people realize how much power he actually has,” Jonah said in a phone interview. “Sometimes he doesn’t display it, but he’s got a lot of juice in there. When he’s using his legs the proper way, he hits the crap out of the baseball.”
If the Cardinals are going to find a way to go from a last-place team to contenders this season, then Nootbaar will be a key factor. Particularly if he’s hitting third. He’ll have the chance to drive in a lot of runs and put up All-Star numbers if he generates more power at the plate.
Along the way, he might also get to live out some of those dreams he’s had.
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Lars Nootbaar Is Aiming to Be the Cardinals’ Breakout Star of 2024