Despite elite plate discipline, Lars Nootbar is mired in an offensive slump. The Arizona Diamondbacks now need his left-handed bat to ignite.
The Arizona Diamondbacks still have plenty of baseball remaining in 2026, but they already find themselves locked into a postseason battle that could extend through the final days of the regular season.
Arizona is one game behind the San Diego Padres for the last National League Wild Card spot, with the Miami Marlins just three games behind San Diego. That race figures to become even more crowded as the season progresses.
Mixed results
Arizona has played well overall and put itself in a strong position to compete for a postseason berth.
However, its recent series loss to the Colorado Rockies and Sunday's setback against the Atlanta Braves provided a disappointing interruption to that momentum.
The Diamondbacks also have room to improve.
Several players on both the offensive and pitching sides have yet to produce at their expected levels. With the postseason race tightening, Arizona needs more from those struggling contributors. Lars Nootbar is one of those players.
Nootbar must contribute more
Nootbar must increase his production. Arizona acquired Nootbaar specifically to strengthen its left-handed production and address some of the problems the lineup has experienced against right-handed pitching.
The former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder ended up being the Diamondbacks’ only addition at the trade deadline, making his ability to contribute particularly important. So far, however, he has not made a noticeable offensive impact.
Nootbaar has played only 10 games with Arizona and is hitting .156/.325/.188 with an RBI.
His On-base Percentage (OBP) does reveal one encouraging element of his performance. Even while struggling to generate hits, Nootbaar has continued working productive at-bats and drawing walks. He has walked eight times but he also has seven strikeouts.
There is still time for Nootbaar to settle into his new surroundings, but Arizona needs the hits to begin coming, especially when he bats with runners in scoring position.
The Diamondbacks did not acquire him with the expectation that he would suddenly become a 20-plus-home-run hitter. They need their newest outfielder to provide consistent quality at-bats and start producing more hits.
Room for improvement
Nootbaar’s plate discipline gives him a foundation from which to improve.
Instead of allowing his slow start to force him into chasing pitches, he has tried showing patience and controlling the strike zone. That ability matters because it allows him to contribute even when his results on contact are not there.
His left-handed bat also gives Arizona greater flexibility against right-handed pitching and helps create better balance throughout the lineup.
Nootbaar does not need to transform his offensive identity. His ability to work counts, reach base and make pitchers earn outs already fits what Arizona needs.
The next step is turning more of those disciplined plate appearances into hits, particularly in situations where the Diamondbacks have opportunities to score.
In a Wild Card race this tight, that additional production could make a significant difference.
