"I want to be a teammate with Shohei Ohtani again" - Lars Nootbar expresses desire to play alongside Dodgers superstar in the future

The dual appearances of Shohei Ohtani and Lars Nootbaar for Team Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic captivated millions in Japan and beyond. Now, the Cardinals outfielder has expressed a desire to play with Ohtani again.

In a recent interview with Yahoo Sports, Nootbaar reflected on Ohtani's recent World Series win with the Dodgers. Although the 27-year-old affirmed his connection to his current club, he also expressed a desire to play alongside Ohtani in the future, saying:

"Of course I want to be a teammate with Shohei again. It would be great if we could play in the next WBC and aim for consecutive championships as a member of Samurai Japan. There is no player who would not want to play with the best player in major history. Of course, I'm one of them"

Born in California to a Japanese mother and a Dutch-American father, Nootbaar opted to play for his mother's homeland in the 2023 WBC. The first foreign-born player to compete for the Japanese National Team, Nootbaar's four RBIs in seven games helped Japan seal the Gold-plated victory. Ohtani struck out Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout to log the final out.

Although Lars Nootbaar expressed interest in playing with Shohei Ohtani at the next WBC, he claimed that he "loved" being member of the St. Louis Cardinals. A member of the NL Central club since 2021, Nootbaar's one-year, $764,000 deal will expire this offseason.

"Shohei Ohtani and Lars Nootbaar is turning into an all-time bromance. I’m gonna hate when it ends." - Jarred Carrabis

During the March 2023 World Baseball Classic, Ohtani and Lars Nootbaar developed a unique friendship. The pair could often be seen laughing and bonding together in the dugout.

Lars Nootbaar is also in awe of Shohei Ohtani

After Nootbaar became friends with Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers star proceeded to become the founding member of MLB's 50/50 club, and win the World Series. Elsewhere in the interview, Nootbaar claimed:

"In the middle of August, when Ohtani was approaching 40/40, I predicted he'll do 50/50 without joking. Not only was my prediction right, but Shohei was just around the corner from 55/60"

Although Nootbaar and Ohtani may not share the same MLB clubhouse anytime soon, the bond that was forged during the WBC is as strong as ever. Should Nootbaar want to follow in Shohei Ohtani's footsteps, then his work is indeed cut out for him.