MLB Future Watch: Lars Nootbaar Baseball Cards, St. Louis Cardinals – Lars Nootbaar, of Japanese and Dutch descent, was drafted 243rd overall in 2018. His great grandfather invested in a Dutch baseball league that still exists today. Baseball is in his blood.
His brother, Nigel pitched at USC and was in the Baltimore Orioles system. Lars is an outfielder who is the most talented baseball player in his family. He played football and baseball at El Segundo High School. He was a two-time MVP quarterback and a three-time MVP for baseball.
After the draft, he got to play in the New York Penn League with the State College Spikes. He had 2 home runs and 26 RBI but set the team record with 7 in one game. Still, he added another 19 throughout that short season.
In 2019, he played for three teams ending up in AA with the Springfield Cardinals. Nootbaar hit 9 doubles, 2 triples, and 7 home runs with 38 RBI and 45 walks. Slip in 4 steals, and that’s a good season. He was moving up the ladder within the Cardinals organization.
Nootbaar didn’t play anywhere in 2020 because of the pandemic. That was a setback that he and other minor league players would feel down the line.
In 2021, he was selected to go to the Cardinals’ Alternate Training site during the pandemic and then to the AAA Memphis Red Birds. Nootbaar played in 35 AAA games hitting 6 home runs with 19 RBI and a .308 batting average. He was called up to St. Louis after being added to the 40-man roster for the first time. He ended up hitting 5 home runs with 15 RBI in just 109 at-bats.
In 2022, he played 17 games with Memphis, hitting 4 home runs with 14 RBI. He got called up to St. Louis again. Besides playing outfield, he’s a good pinch hitter as well. In his first 42 games, he had 4 
home runs and 14 RBI. Highlights have been a ball hit with an exit velo of 110 MPH and a long dinger that went 426 feet. In a seven-game span, he had a .938 slugging percentage!
MLB Future Watch: Lars Nootbaar Baseball Cards Worth Chasing
One card to get is Nootbaar’s 2022 Bowman Rookie. You’ll see, he’s got his home run swing ready.
His 2022 Topps Gypsy Queen autographed rookie card shows his intense look before hitting the ball.
One last card is his 2022 Topps Tribute Autographed Rookie. It’s a nice signature of an up-and-coming ballplayer.
MLB Future Watch: Lars Nootbaar Baseball Cards, St. Louis Cardinals – Stats
Statistical image generated on Baseball Reference as of 07/28/2022.
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Russ Cohen
is the author of several top-selling sports related books.
Baseball’s Best Rookies
Numbers Don’t Lie: Mets: The Biggest Numbers in Mets History
100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters
100 Things Rangers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die
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