Zachary "Zach" Craig Lutz[1] (born June 3, 1986[1]) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball and the Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization.
| Zach Lutz | |
|---|---|
 Lutz with the New York Mets during spring training in 2014 | |
| Third baseman / First baseman | |
| Born: June 3, 1986 Reading, Pennsylvania | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| Professional debut | |
| MLB: April 24, 2012, for the New York Mets | |
| NPB: June 21, 2014, for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles | |
| KBO: March 28, 2015, for the Doosan Bears | |
| Last appearance | |
| MLB: September 28, 2013, for the New York Mets | |
| NPB: July 21, 2014, for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles | |
| KBO: April 22, 2015, for the Doosan Bears | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .226 |
| Home runs | 0 |
| Runs batted in | 2 |
| NPB statistics | |
| Batting average | .314 |
| Home runs | 5 |
| Runs batted in | 18 |
| KBO statistics | |
| Batting average | .111 |
| Home runs | 1 |
| Runs batted in | 3 |
| Teams | |
Early life
editLutz was born on June 3, 1986, in Reading, Pennsylvania.[1] He attended Governor Mifflin Senior High School in Shillington, Pennsylvania, then Alvernia University in Reading, where his father Yogi was the baseball coach.[2][3] Zach played third base for the Alvernia Crusaders of the Division III Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (now known as the Colonial States Athletic Conference).[3] He earned preseason All-American honors prior to his 2007 junior year.[3]
Professional career
editNew York Mets
editIn the 2007 Major League Baseball draft, Lutz was chosen in the 5th round by the New York Mets,[2] and subsequently spent time in the Mets minor league system.[1]
In the 2010 baseball season, Lutz played for the Binghamton Mets and Buffalo Bisons, the Mets' Double-A and Triple-A affiliates,[4] despite missing around sixty days due to a stress fracture in his left foot.[2] In 61 games for Binghamton, Lutz hit 17 home runs, finishing with a .967 OPS.[4] At the end of the season, Lutz was promoted to Buffalo where he played five games, finishing with one home run while hitting to a .300 batting average.[2] Prior to the 2011 season, the New York Mets placed Lutz on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[4]
On April 24, 2012, Lutz made his major league debut against the Miami Marlins, striking out in his one at-bat. Lutz got his first major league hit on April 27, 2012, in Denver against the Colorado Rockies. On September 1, 2012, Lutz was recalled by the Mets and then was sent back to Triple-A.
He was again recalled on June 23, 2013, to fill in for Lucas Duda.[5] He joined fellow Alvernia University alum Anthony Recker on the team.
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
editLutz was released by the Mets on June 11, 2014, so that he could sign with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Nippon Professional Baseball League.[6]
Second Stint With Mets
editLutz signed a minor league deal with the Mets on July 16, 2015.
Miami Marlins
editLutz signed a minor league deal with the Marlins on February 3, 2016. He was released on June 20, 2016.
Somerset Patriots
editLutz signed with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball on March 1, 2017.[7] He announced his retirement within a few weeks.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Profile". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Lutz added to 40-man". Reading Eagle. November 21, 2010. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
- ^ a b c Grumling, Darryl (April 26, 2007). "'Killer Z's' are Perfect for Alvernia". Reading Eagle. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
- ^ a b c McCullough, Andy (November 19, 2010). "Mets add three players to 40-man roster". The Star-Ledger. Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
- ^ "Mets Place Duda On 15-Day Disabled List". CBS News New York. June 23, 2013. Archived from the original on December 31, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
- ^ "Sources: Zach Lutz headed to Japan". June 11, 2014. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
- ^ "Former New York Met Zach Lutz Signed By Somerset Patriots". Bridgewater, NJ Patch. March 1, 2017. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ Ashmore, Mike. "Somerset Patriots Year In Review: Zach Lutz". Courier News. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
External links
edit
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet