How a childhood encounter with a Japanese youth team shaped a baseball star
In short: In 2006, nine-year-old Lars Nootbaar was a batboy for a touring Japanese national youth team. Decades later, that single interaction would lead him to represent Japan on the world stage, making him the first player not born in Japan to play for the nation in a World Baseball Classic.
Lars Nootbaar's journey from El Segundo, California, to the international stage is rooted in a specific moment of connection. While serving as a batboy for a Japanese national youth team in 2006, Nootbaar interacted closely with the players, including future MLB pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. The experience was so profound that players stayed at his family home and shared meals, an event his mother, Kumiko Enokida, says ultimately motivated him to accept an offer to represent Japan. During this period, several athletes even stayed at his residence to eat with the family. This formative connection with the visiting squad left a lasting impression on the young Californian.
This decision culminated in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where Nootbaar achieved a historic milestone. He was the initial non-Japanese native to play for the nation during that competition. During the championship game against the United States, Nootbaar batted leadoff and recorded an RBI, helping Japan secure the victory. He achieved this feat during the tournament's final match against the United States. His performance helped lead the team to a championship victory.
Nootbaar's career has been marked by both high-profile success and physical resilience. After being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the eighth round of the 2018 MLB draft, he made his major league debut in 2021. His career has seen him navigate significant injuries, including rib fractures and surgeries on both heels in October 2025 to remove Haglund's deformities. In August 2026, he was traded from the Cardinals to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He previously played college baseball for the USC Trojans. Following his time in St. Louis, he moved to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2026.
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