Cardinals Fan Favorite Joins Impressive Company After Red-Hot Start To Season

One Cardinals budding young star is shining so far this season

The St. Louis Cardinals seem to have a budding star on their hands. 

St. Louis entered the 2023 season with very high expectations. After winning 93 games in 2022 and returning much of the same roster, it wasn't too surprising that many thought the team would shine. One player some noted as a potential breakout candidate to look out for this season was third-year outfielder Lars Nootbaar and he certainly has in a major way so far this season. 

Nootbaar earned an Opening Day start for the Cardinals but suffered an injury that forced him to miss some time. After missing a few weeks, Nootbaar returned to action on April 15th and has shined ever since. The 25-year-old has slashed .310/.444/.450 to go along with three home runs and 13 RBIs in 28 games so far this season. 

The young outfielder began the 2022 season expected to be the Cardinals' fourth outfielder, but impressive play forced the club to move him into the starting lineup and he hasn't looked back. Although he has missed some time, Nootbaar currently is second on the club in wins above replacement at 1.5 and is just behind the 2022 National League Most Valuable Player Paul Goldschmidt who currently is at 1.7. 

St. Louis currently is in last place in the National League Central at 17-25, but the club is one of the hottest teams in all of baseball. The Cardinals have won four games in a row and seven of their last eight contests and Nootbaar's red-hot start to the season certainly is a big reason why. 

At just 25 years old, Nootbaar likely will be taking the field for St. Louis for years to come and if he can continue to improve at the rate he has, he could be a game-changer. 

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