Lars Nootbaar opens up about intriguing offseason after meeting with Oli Marmol
Yesterday at 04:42 AM
Following a meeting with St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol, where both player and coach expressed their frustrations over a disappointing season, Lars Nootbaar responded immediately by hitting a home run and a double in his first two at-bats on Thursday afternoon against the Colorado Rockies.
After struggling early in the season due to rib and oblique injuries, and feeling frustrated by his increasing ground-ball rate and declining power, Nootbaar aimed to address the necessary changes for the offseason and the expectations the Cardinals have for him.
While it resembled a typical end-of-season review, it also served as a crucial venting session for a player whom the Cardinals still believe has significant potential as a power hitter.
"You work on certain things to achieve certain goals, and sometimes you've got to do something different if you want different results," Nootbar remarked via MLB.com
Focusing on lifting the ball to avoid the rollover grounders that troubled him throughout the season, Nootbaar launched a four-seam fastball from Kyle Freeland 384 feet for a home run in his first at-bat.
Lars Nootbaar’s new approach
Demonstrating his exceptional talent for generating triple-digit exit velocity, he sent the ball flying with an exit velocity of 105.7 mph, according to Statcast.
"I think this offseason is going to be one for [change]. … It's not going to be a complete swing overhaul or anything like that. A lot of it is intent and changing some things mechanical. I'll be doing my research and trying to formulate a plan of attack," he continued.
Marmol expressed enthusiasm over Nootbaar's immediate success following their conversation about focusing on driving balls into the gaps and clearing the outfield wall for greater offensive impact.
The Cardinals are worried about Nootbaar’s rising ground-ball rate, which has increased from 46% in 2022 to 50.5% in 2023, and now stands at 52.5% this season. This trend has limited his power potential, resulting in just 11 home runs, 18 doubles, and two triples over his 106 games played this year.
Nootbaar went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, an RBI double, and scored a run in Thursday’s 10-8 loss to the Rockies.
The 27-year old launched his 11th home run of the season, taking Freeland deep for a solo shot in the first inning. Since September began, he’s gone 18-for-57 (.316) with three homers, 13 RBIs, 10 runs scored, and 14 walks to match his strikeouts.
A better 2025 season for Nootbaar and the Cardinals
Lars Nootbaar had higher expectations for himself, which likely means he faces a busy offseason to implement the swing changes he and the Cardinals believe are necessary.
A healthy 2025 season could benefit Nootbaar, who suffered two cracked ribs early in Spring Training after colliding with a wall while pursuing a fly ball. After recovering from that injury, he strained an oblique muscle in late May, sidelining him for another six weeks.
"We've been talking quite a bit about him being on the ground and early in counts him being able to do more damage," said Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol.
"He's very selective, but early we need him to take his A swing. He was able to open up the game that way today, and it was good to see," he added.
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