Why is the St. Louis Cardinals' outfielder Lars Nootbaar "untouchable"?

His Personality

In May, Lars penned an autobiography on The Players' Tribune website. The piece gave insight into who the outfielder is. Readers got to know what his life was like as a child, in high school, in the minors, and how he filled his time after the 2020 minor league season was canceled. Spoiler: he worked a job just like the rest of us.

One part of strong writing is voice. Voice can be best described as the ability of a reader to see the personality of the author through the writing. Lars' story is filled with voice. He discusses his favorite memories, funny stories throughout his time playing baseball, and lessons learned in every stage of his life. This life story is what has made him such an appealing player for fans and players alike.

In addition to his on-field performances, Lars brings energy to the clubhouse. He started the pepper grinder celebration (and brought it to Japan), he cracks jokes in the dugout, and he keeps things loose in general.

"Obviously, once you get to the big leagues it can be real serious. Winning is the No. 1 goal, but you can do that having a little fun. The guys appreciate keeping it a little bit loose. They have good personalities."

Lars Nootbaar

Having a player who can hit well, provides strong defense, is an international star, and is a great clubhouse guy is tough to find. The Cardinals have that in Nootbaar. He is here to stay, and the team won't (and shouldn't) trade him away regardless of the return.