Please check your statistics. He's hitting .247 with a .345 OBP and .715 OPS against LHP. That is easily the best Lefty/Lefty split on the Cardinals.Melville wrote: ↑28 May 2025 08:49 amNootbaar is .236/.337/.361/.698 against LH pitching this year.woofy25 wrote: ↑28 May 2025 08:01 amNootbaar has rightfully been criticized over the years for not being healthy. Now, he is and that's getting used against him. Ok. He has more ABs than Donovan and Scott b/c those two can't hit LHP (yes, I know the leadoff hitter gets the most ABs). The reality is Nootbaar doesn't need to sit against LHP. You can't hold that against him, yet you are.Melville wrote: ↑27 May 2025 22:12 pmHe has 22 more PA's than Donovan, 57 more than Scott, and 65 more than Winn - all of whom would be ahead of him if they hit leadoff and had his number of PA'sMonsieur De Treville wrote: ↑27 May 2025 21:52 pmHe has the benefit of leading the Cardinals in runs scored and home runs on 2025.Melville wrote: ↑27 May 2025 21:46 pm Good to see him have a good day.
He has been rough at the plate, rough in the field, and rough on the bases.
Players will have good stretches and bad.
Mootbaar is and always will remain that which he has been throughout his career.
A passive, low BA, good OBP inconsistent hitter who will hit a HR every now and then when a pitcher gives him a gift with a straight FB at the top of the zone.
He is a handy role player - but not a key lineup cog.
That won't change.
In STL he has the added benefit of being an odd marketing piece and he is aware enough to take advantage by playing to that.
Of course he has scored more runs - given the massive advantages he has been given, it would be nearly impossible for him not to have.
Reality is, leading those 3 by a mere 3,5, and 7 is an underperformance.
Again, a handy player to have around in a supporting role - but not a key piece, a lineup anchor, for any serious contender.
Currently, the team has 6 bats who are far more important to the present and the future - and 2 more who almost certainly will be in another 60 days.
Which is actually worse than his career rate against LH pitching.
Not what any team should want against lefthanders from the leadoff spot.
Overall, his career .240ish BA (repeated again this year) is less the desirable for a leadoff hitter.
His 28 career stolen base total is just bad.
I am glad he is having a solid pedestrian season and is staying out of the emergency room.
He does one thing well - draws walks.
And, he will hit a HR every now and then when a pitcher gifts him with a high straight fastball.
But that is all there is to his game.
To his credit, he has remained healthy enough to be a solid role player this season.
But he is not a difference maker.
He is not a line-up anchor.
He is a lesser version of Matt Carpenter.
As I said when the season began, Nootbaar would actually make a very good #9 hitter - in this DH era that role has gained importance.
Scott should be hitting #1 and Nootbaar #9 against RH starting pitchers.
Remember, I was the ONLY person who CORRECTLY stated before the season began that Winn/Donovan/Contreras should hit 2-3-4 in the lineup.
There was a lot of pushback, but the fact is that once The Marmot did exactly as I advised with those 3 spots, the offense took off.
I was right then.
And I am right now.
To your final point, I hold nothing against any player.
Never for, never against.
But always with unbiased, fact based, analysis.
His .350+OBP plays at the leadoff spot.
You say he's having a pedestrian season. That is not synonymous with a solid season. You can't use both adjectives. He's having a very good season. Reference all the rankings that have already been provided, and it becomes rather indisputable.
His every now and then HR total is tied for 55th in baseball and #1 on the Cardinals. Your description of his HRs are intentionally pessimistic and misleading. Five of his eight HRs have been on either breaking balls or offspeed pitches, easily debunking your high fastball assessment.
Yes, he is a lesser version of peak Matt Carpenter. Carpenter was the best leadoff hitter in baseball for 4-5 seasons. His breakout season was 2013, his age 27 season. This happens to be Nootbaar's age 27 season. I doubt Noot ever hits 55 doubles and will not reach Carp's level, but Noot has peak years ahead of him. Also worth noting, Carpenter had 28 career stolen bases.
You did hold health against him by stating fewer plate appearances by others is the reason for less production. You don't know that. Who's to say Donovan doesn't go 5-22 or Winn doesn't fall into a slump with those extra ABs? You're making a claim that can't be proven one way or the other.
He has very good overall numbers and has had a pretty rough May. I'm optimistic that his average numbers AVG/OBP/SLG/OPS will be higher by the end of the season than they are now.
The evidence is already clear that he is an MLB starting OFer on most, if not all teams. The 4th OFer assessment is nonsense. There is just no genuine way to back that up.
