The energy of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) continues on the big league stage.
The WBC held in March ended with Japan winning. There are many factors behind Japan’s victory, but the addition of Lars Nutba (26) cannot be left out.
It was a bold decision by Japan. It was the first case in which a Japanese major leaguer joined the Japanese national team. Nutba was born to a Dutch-American father and a Japanese mother, which made it possible for him to join the WBC Japan team.
When Japan selected Nutba for the national team, a negative opinion came from the Japanese baseball world, saying, “Is Nutba really a player who needs it?” In fact, Nuthba was not a completely verified player in the major leagues, so it was a sufficient opinion.
However, Nutba has proven himself why he is the player the Japanese national team needs. Nutba, who played in all 7 games played by Japan, was not very impressive with a batting average of .269, but faithfully performed his duties as a leadoff with an on-base percentage of as high as .424. On top of that, he even fulfilled the role of allowing Japan’s offense to return smoothly while collecting 4 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. The ‘Pepper Ceremony’ he preached also became very popular in Japan.
Nutba returned to her team, St. Louis, after a happy life in the Japanese national team. What kind of activity is he showing now?
Nutba is also showing formidable on-base ability in St. Louis. Nutba, who appeared in 21 games, boasts a batting average of .297, close to 30%, and an on-base percentage of .429. His 17 walks with close to 22 hits is a record that shows why he is a valuable hitter. At the same time, he struck out only 21 times. He also hit two home runs and also collected nine RBIs and three stolen bases.
Now, however, Nutba’s record cannot be found in the major league personal record rankings. That’s because he hasn’t yet filled the regulation plate. Nutba was also placed on the injured list earlier last month due to a bruised left thumb. Since returning from the game against Pittsburgh on the 16th of last month, he has been playing in a healthy manner. 먹튀검증
The current National League leader in on-base percentage is Miami’s Luis Araez with an on-base percentage of .476. This is largely due to his batting average of .420. In second place is Lamonte Wade of San Francisco with a batting average of .258 and an on-base percentage of .436. In third place is Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr., with a league-leading .431 on-base percentage. Although Nutba doesn’t appear on the OBP rankings right now, it can be confirmed that he boasts an on-base ability that ranks in the league’s top five.
Having started as the number 2 hitter in this year’s opening game, he has now fully established himself as the number 1 hitter in St. Louis. Occasionally, when Tommy Edman hits first, he’ll be placed in the lower batting order. Now, I have settled down as the starting player, but the problem is the team’s performance. St. Louis is one of the most prestigious clubs in the major leagues, but is currently at the bottom of the National League Central Division with 11 wins and 24 losses. Can Nutba, who led the Japanese national team win, lead the rebound of St. Louis?