Lars Nootbaar

Lars Nootbaar is an MLB outfielder known primarily as a left fielder. Born September 8, 1997, in El Segundo, California, he attended El Segundo High School and played college baseball at USC. In the 2018 MLB Draft, he was selected in the 8th round (pick 19) by St. Louis. Nootbaar made his MLB debut on June 22, 2021. Early in his career, he showed power and patience: in 2022 he hit 14 home runs with a .788 OPS across 290 at-bats, and followed with a strong 2023 line of .261/.367/.418 (0.785 OPS) with 14 homers, 46 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. His 2023 on-base ability stood out, supported by 70 walks in 503 plate appearances. In 2024, he posted a .342 OBP and .759 OPS with 12 home runs in 109 games. In 2025, his season totals included 509 at-bats, 13 home runs, 48 RBI, and a .686 OPS. His early 2026 regular-season sample (21 games) included a .306 average, .400 OBP, and .872 OPS, with Statcast showing 93.8 mph average exit velocity and a 112.8 mph max. Internationally, Nootbaar appeared for Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, hitting .269 with a .424 OBP in 7 games.