Re-ranking the value of the Cardinals' 10 best young position players

3. Lars Nootbaar (Previous ranking: #2)

The Cardinals missed Lars Nootbaar in their lineup to begin the year, and now that he's back, I think we'll begin to see their offense whip itself into shape in the near future.

Nootbaar is the best of both worlds at the plate. He's an on-base machine, just not quite like Donovan is, and although he does not have 40 home run power like Gorman does, he can crush baseballs as well.

Nootbaar is the kind of hitter the Cardinals can anywhere in their lineup and see major results. He's not an elite defender, but he's very good in the corners and can be average in center field. Paired with that bat, Nootbaar is a guy the Cardinals love having on their team.

One intangible aspect about Nootbaar that can't be quantified on a stat sheet is how impactful his personality is on the field and in the clubhouse. The Cardinals are a better team when Nootbaar is around. He brings good vibes and is a major competitor, and it fires up his fellow teammates.

Nootbaar is a winning player. He does the little things well and comes through when the game is on the line. The Cardinals have had a revolving door of outfielders for years now, and Nootbaar is helping put an end to that.

The biggest thing for Nootbaar moving forward is going to be his health. He has to find a way to stop missing chunks of time with weird injuries and to play as often as possible. If Nootbaar can finally complete close to a full season for the Cardinals, they will get some pretty significant production from him, and their whole lineup will take steps forward.