RADIO
Lars Nootbaar is a 2023 fantasy baseball draft sleeper at OF, and is an ADP draft value. Target Nootbaar as an undervalued OF in fantasy baseball drafts.
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~pick 170
CURRENT ADP: ~180 overall
ANALYSIS: Lars Nootbaar has been making himself quite the name in this year’s WBC. Mr. Japan has been batting .368/.500/.368 while making his pepper-grinding celebration a sensation across the world. While Nootbaar has made himself a surprise star at the WBC, it is likely just a preface to a rise to MLB superstardom in 2023.
In 2022, Nootbaar batted .228/.340/.448 with an OPS+ of 126. It was an up-and-down season, as he had two months above an OPS of .900, but also two months under .700 OPS. Nootbaar may look unreliable as a hitter, but a bad turn of luck in those two low-OPS months (BABIP under the Mendoza line in those two months) and an amazing set of hitting peripherals should ease concerns.
Nootbaar smacked the ball with an average exit velocity of 91.7 mph and a hard-hit rate of 46% in 2022. But he isn’t just a hard hitter; Nootbaar had a walk rate in the 98th percentile and a barrel rate of 12.1%. Those advanced numbers didn’t translate into counting stats because of the shift. Nootbaar was shifted on half his at-bats, with a .378 wOBA on non-shifts. With the shift gone, Nootbaar should see an increase in traditional statistics to the point of award contention.
While there is increased competition in the Cardinals’ outfield from Jordan Walker and Juan Yepez, Nootbaar is the least threatened. His defensive savviness and impressive offensive tools will keep him on the field. All signs point to a massive season for Lars Nootbaar.
More Fantasy Baseball Values and Sleepers
Deyvison De Los Santos - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 1)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues CALL-UP ETA: Now ANALYSIS: Following their Opening Day victory over the Colorado Rockies, the Miami Marlins promoted first base prospect Deyvison De Los Santos to the major-league roster. De Los Santos spent nearly the entire 2025 season at our Triple-A level and was knocking on the MLB door for most […]
Konnor Griffin - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Stashes (Week 1)
BALLER MOVE: Add in all leagues CALL-UP ETA: April ANALYSIS: Shortly before the regular season began, the Pirates opted to send Griffin to Triple-A Indianapolis. Griffin remained on the roster throughout most of spring training and was one of the final cuts, suggesting he made a serious push to crack the Opening Day roster. However, the […]
Andrew Painter - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Pickups, Stashes (Week 14)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12-team leagues CALL-UP ETA: July ANALYSIS: Philadelphia Phillies top pitching prospect Andrew Painter missed the entirety of the 2023 and 2024 seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery. However, the budding ace made his Triple-A debut earlier this season and is quickly approaching his MLB debut. Painter began the season with Low-A, […]
Logan Henderson - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Pickups, Stashes (Week 14)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues CALL-UP ETA: July ANALYSIS: Milwaukee Brewers right-handed pitching prospect Logan Henderson made his MLB debut earlier this season and was quite dominant, tossing 21 innings to the tune of a 1.71 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. During this stint, Henderson struck out 29 batters and posted a strong 7.4% […]
Jordan Lawlar - Fantasy Baseball Prospects Waiver Wire Pickups, Stashes (Week 14)
BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ team leagues CALL-UP ETA: July ANALYSIS: Arizona Diamondbacks top prospect Jordan Lawlar received his second taste of the majors earlier this season but was unable to produce. Across eight games in Arizona, Lawlar did not tally a hit and held a 9:3 K:BB. During the 2023 season, Lawlar made his MLB […]
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!
Check out RotoBaller's entire fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and sleepers list, updated daily!
