Former Trojans face off on the diamond in St. Louis

162 games take place between Opening Day of the MLB season and the final pitch, making the season one of the busiest in professional sports. This season was a long, unpredictable roller coaster ride as always, but Trojan baseball fans should be excited about how one playoff series in particular shaped up. 

Beginning this Friday, the Philadelphia Phillies will travel to St. Louis to take on the Cardinals in the wild card round of the MLB playoffs. The series will showcase two great teams who have seen plenty of exciting storylines play out in their successful seasons. 

But, one storyline in particular has Trojan fans buzzing. Each of the teams boasts beloved Trojan baseball alumni, outfielder Lars Nootbaar of the Cardinals and catcher Garrett Stubbs of the Phillies.

Trojan fans have watched the careers of both players blossom over the course of the season, in completely different ways. 

There was a lot of buzz surrounding Nootbaar heading into the season. He had shown flashes of brilliance in his brief rookie appearance in 2021 and captured the hearts of many Cardinal fans. The Cardinals hoped he could carve out a regular role in 2022. 

However, a crowded outfield made it difficult for Nootbaar to get opportunities, and when he did, he couldn’t hit. His average was .091 at the end of May. As a result, he shuffled back and forth between the Cardinals and the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. 

But, Nootbaar climbed his way out of his slump, which manager Oli Marmol credits to the energetic outfielder’s upbeat attitude. His hitting turnaround, coupled with an uptick in opportunities due to injuries, led to Nootbaar becoming a regular starter in the summer months. 

He ended up with a respectable .228 average with 14 home runs, 40 runs batted in and a 2.2 WAR. 

Now he factors heavily into the Cardinals postseason push, as he is likely their best healthy outfielder on the roster. 

The Cardinals relied on the consistency of him and others as they rode a steady tide of winning to a divisional title and a #3 seed. 

In the other dugout, Stubbs also carved out a regular role for the first time in his career. Stubbs debuted with the Astros in 2019 and spent three years with Houston. However, he never stuck in a regular role and had similar hitting struggles to Nootbaar. 

The Phillies traded for him prior to this season, in hopes that he could become their backup catcher. With the Phillies having one of the best catchers in the league, JT Realmuto, in their starting catcher role but without an apparent backup, Stubbs finally had a defined role if he could play well enough to keep it. 

He played far better than anyone expected. Stubbs hit .276, an exceptional average for a backup catcher. 

He also had one of the best viral moments of the entire season. In a game against the Marlins on June 15, Stubbs stepped up to the plate with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and his Phillies losing 1-0 and blasted a walkoff 3-run homer into the right field seats. 

At that moment, Stubbs couldn’t contain his excitement and passion. As he began his home run jog, he spiked his bat into the ground and hyped up his teammates in the Phillies dugout before running around the bases with a smile on his face. 

The moment went viral because it was clear that Stubbs cared so much for his team and their success. It was clear that Stubbs loved the game just as much as anybody in the league. 

It turned out to be an important win as well. The Phillies needed every win they could get in their playoff push, as they were the last team to clinch a spot in the postseason only days before the season ended. 

Now, the two fan-favorite, fun-loving former Trojans who are both having their best seasons yet will share the field in a pivotal series. 

Nootbaar and the No. 3 seed Cardinals are seeking to make one final playoff push with their longtime core of Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, while Stubbs and the Phillies are seeking to make their first playoff berth in 11 years worthwhile and defy the odds for a deep playoff run. Only one player’s team can win and move on, adding to that player’s season-long success story. 

No matter who wins, it will be a win for Trojan fans simply to see these two players in the playoffs together, playing vital roles on great teams.