History of Lars Nootbaar in Timeline

Lars Nootbaar is a professional baseball outfielder currently playing for the St. Louis Cardinals in MLB. Notably, he also represents the Japan national baseball team in international competitions. This reflects his dual heritage and allows him to compete on a global stage.

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Full Timeline

September 8, 1997: Lars Nootbaar's Birth

On September 8, 1997, Lars Taylor-Tatsuji Nootbaar was born. He is now a professional baseball outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals of MLB and represents Japan on the international level.

Others born on this day/year

2006: Interaction with Japanese Youth Team

In 2006, at age nine, Lars Nootbaar served as a batboy for a touring Japanese national youth team, which included future MLB pitcher Masahiro Tanaka and Yuki Saito. He interacted with the team, and some players stayed at his house.

2012: Brother's Professional Baseball Career

In 2012, Lars Nootbaar's older brother, Nigel, began playing professionally in the Baltimore Orioles minor league system, having previously pitched at USC.

2015: End of Brother's Professional Career

In 2015, Lars Nootbaar's older brother, Nigel, ended his professional career in the Baltimore Orioles minor league system.

2018: Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals

In 2018, Lars Nootbaar was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the eighth round of the MLB draft after playing college baseball at the University of Southern California.

2018: Assigned to State College Spikes

In 2018, after signing with the St. Louis Cardinals, Lars Nootbaar was assigned to the State College Spikes of the Class A Short Season New York–Penn League, setting a team record with seven RBIs in one game. He finished the season with a .227 batting average, two home runs, and 26 RBIs over 56 games.

2019: Progression Through Minor League Teams

In 2019, Lars Nootbaar began the season with the Class A Peoria Chiefs and was later promoted to the Class A-Advanced Palm Beach Cardinals and then the Double-A Springfield Cardinals. Across 101 games, he had a .264 batting average with seven home runs and 38 RBIs.

2020: Minor League Season Cancellation

In 2020, the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting Lars Nootbaar's playing opportunities.

June 22, 2021: Promotion to Major Leagues and MLB Debut

On June 22, 2021, Lars Nootbaar was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. At the time of his promotion, he had a .329/.430/.557 slash line with five home runs and 17 RBIs over 22 games. He made his MLB debut that day as the starting left fielder against the Detroit Tigers.

2021: Assignment to Memphis Redbirds and Injury

In 2021, Lars Nootbaar began the season at the Cardinals' alternate training site before being reassigned to the Triple-A East Memphis Redbirds. He was placed on the injured list with a hand injury on May 28 and was activated on June 14.

2021: MLB Debut

In 2021, Lars Nootbaar made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the St. Louis Cardinals.

2022: Fan Favorite

During the 2022 season, Lars Nootbaar became a fan favorite among Cardinals fans, greeted with "Nooooot!" when batting or making a defensive play.

2022: Cardinals' Fourth Outfielder

In 2022, Lars Nootbaar started the season as the Cardinals' fourth outfielder and eventually moved into a starting role. He played 108 games and hit .228/.340/.448 with 14 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 16 doubles.

2023: World Baseball Classic Victory with Japan

In 2023, Lars Nootbaar played for the Japan national team in the World Baseball Classic, the first player not born in Japan to do so. Japan won the tournament, with Nootbaar batting leadoff and recording an RBI in the championship game against the United States.

2023: Center Field Role

In 2023, Lars Nootbaar primarily played center field for the Cardinals, also spending time in left and right field. Over 117 games, he batted .261 with 14 home runs and 46 RBIs.