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When asked about the Cardinals making it very plain and declaring in no uncertain terms that the success of this year鈥檚 team will rest on the performance and progress of young players like himself, Nootbaar responded by saying that they understood that it was 鈥渙ur time to take that step.鈥�

Nootbaar also said that in 2025, 鈥渢here鈥檚 no hiding anymore.鈥�

So far, Nootbaar has been front and center as the offensive catalyst for the Cardinals in a pair of wins to open the season. All he鈥檚 done is go 4-for-7 with a walk, a home run, four RBI and three runs scored while batting in the leadoff spot and setting the tone for an offense that came into the year as one of the biggest question marks in Major League Baseball.

The Cardinals didn鈥檛 add to their lineup this offseason. They subtracted Paul Goldschmidt, who homered and started a 20-run offensive outburst for the New York Yankees on Saturday.

The Cardinals fired their hitting coach after last season after a mediocre offensive season that included below league average scoring production, ranking in the middle 1/3 of the majors in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and ranking in the bottom 1/3 in home runs hit.

We can鈥檛 forget that they were 83-79 last season despite having scored 47 fewer runs than they allowed 鈥� the first Cardinals team since 1975 to post a winning record with a negative run differential.

In December at the MLB Winter Meetings, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said very definitively that the success of the offense in 2025 will depend upon the ability of returning players to improve. Mozeliak put the pressure squarely on players like Nootbaar.

Just as Nootbaar said, there鈥檚 no hiding anymore.

On Saturday, Nootbaar played a part in three of the Cardinals鈥� first four runs in a series-clinching 5-1 win against the Minnesota Twins at Busch Stadium. For the second game in a row, he started the day with a base hit and then scored the game鈥檚 first run in the first inning. Then with the Cardinals clinging to a one-run lead with two outs in the sixth inning, Nootbaar lined a two-run single into center field and gave the Cardinals a three-run advantage.

Thursday, Nootbaar started the game with a single, scored the season鈥檚 first run on a Brendan Donovan single and then scored the game鈥檚 second run the following inning with a two-out solo home run he blasted into the right field seats.

While two games represent a small drop in the bucket in a 162-game season, the fact remains Nootbaar鈥檚 production proved critical in both wins.

Last season, the Cardinals counted on Nootbaar being their everyday left fielder going into spring training. They traded Tyler O鈥橬eill during the offseason and made it very clear how they envisioned their outfield 鈥� with Nootbaar starting.

However, a collision with an outfield wall in West Palm Beach fractured his ribs as well as the club鈥檚 plans for a stable everyday defensive alignment.

While the left-handed hitting Nootbaar continued to flash the mixture of plate discipline, hard contact and power that has excited and enticed the Cardinals for years, he failed to put together an extended stretch of impactful production. He finished the season with a slash line of .244/.342/.417 to go with 12 home runs and 45 RBIs.

The onus for offensive production hasn鈥檛 been placed entirely on the shoulders of Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman and Nootbaar the way it was presented in December.

Nolan Arenado鈥檚 presence in the lineup as the cleanup hitter lifts some of the burden off the rest of the lineup and it has also resulted in Gorman having not taken an at-bat through the first two games.

Still, Nootbaar has not hidden.

There鈥檚 no more deferring to Goldschmidt and Arenado. It鈥檚 Nootbaar鈥檚 time, and he鈥檚 been noticeable. He鈥檚 started the season with a very loud bat, and he鈥檚 provided a jolt that has resonated through the lineup to start the season.

鈥淗e鈥檚 just a really good player,鈥� Arenado said following the season opener. 鈥淚f he stays healthy, he鈥檚 got a chance to do some special things. He鈥檚 my boy, and I always support him, and I always talk well about him, but I just see something really good coming.鈥�

It鈥檚 just two games, but Nootbaar is not hiding, and the Cardinals need that from him. They need him healthy. They need him in the lineup. They need him setting a tone and helping establish an offensive identity.