| Donald Lutz | |
|---|---|
| First baseman /Outfielder | |
| Born: (1989-02-06)February 6, 1989 (age 36) Watertown, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 29, 2013, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 24, 2014, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .211 |
| Home runs | 1 |
| Runs batted in | 9 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Donald Thomas Lutz III (born February 6, 1989) is an American-German former professionalbaseballfirst baseman /leftfielder. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theCincinnati Reds.
Lutz signed with the Reds as a non-drafted amateur free agent in 2007. Despite starting his baseball career in his teenage years, and in Germany, Lutz first visited Cincinnati's spring training camp, reached Double–A and was placed on theReds' 40-man roster in 2012.
Lutz was the first German-developed player to play in the modern Major Leagues.[1] He played for Team Germany in the2019 European Baseball Championship, in which they came in 6th.
Lutz was a baby when his family moved to Germany. He had his first experience with the sport at 14, when his older brother (Sascha Lutz [de], who became a baseball player in the German leagues) took him to a training session of the Friedberg Braves, a team located inFriedberg (Hessen). Since then, Lutz increased his skills, especially his hitting. After two years with the local team, he went to the Bad Homburg Hornets and played there for two seasons before he went to a baseball boarding school inRegensburg for one more season.
Within another few years, he became a member of theGermany national baseball team and traveled to Europe-wide training camps, which finally led to his signing with theCincinnati Reds on July 15, 2007.
Lutz played his first two seasons for the formerGulf Coast League affiliate of the Reds. In those seasons he played 50 games and achieved a .250 BA with one home run and 19 RBI in the first season, while only scoring a .169 BA, 10 RBI and no home runs the following year. In his third season Lutz remained in the Rookie level but was transferred to theBillings Mustangs from thePioneer League, where he had a .286 BA as well as 7 home runs and 28 RBI.
After an impressive 2011 season for the single-ADayton Dragons with a .301 BA and 20 home runs and the team's firstcycle, Lutz was promoted to the Reds'40-man roster in 2012 and participated in 15 Spring training games. A few days beforeOpening Day, he was dropped from the active roster and sent to the High–ABakersfield Blaze. Through mid-July, Lutz made 63 appearances and logged 17 home runs and 51 RBI. After being promoted to Double–APensacola Blue Wahoos Lutz continued with nearly the same statistics. After playing in the Arizona Fall League and a second spring training with the Reds, Lutz started the 2013 season in Pensacola but remained on the 40-man roster.
The Reds promoted Lutz to the major leagues for the first time on April 29, 2013.[2] On May 5, againstShawn Camp of theChicago Cubs, Lutz got his first MLB hit when he lined a ball into center field. Lutz went on to score that inning, and registered an RBI and stolen base later in the same game. Lutz hit his first career home run on May 12, a three-run homer off Brewers pitcherWily Peralta. He was sent back down to Pensacola on June 25. In 34 games during his rookie campaign, Lutz batted .241/.254/.310 with one home run, eight RBI, and two stolen bases.
On April 21, 2014, he hit for the first cycle in Blue Wahoos franchise history in a 17–1 win against theJacksonville Suns.[3] In 28 games for the Reds in 2014, Lutz hit .176/.222/.255 with one RBI.
On May 1, 2015, it was announced Lutz would undergoTommy John surgery and would be out for the season. He was released on June 3.[4] On January 12, 2016, Lutz re–signed with the Reds organization on a minor league contract.[5] He played in 66 games split between Pensacola and the Triple–ALouisville Bats, hitting a combined .199/.252/.261 with two home runs and 18 RBI. Lutz elected free agency following the season on November 7.[6]
On March 30, 2017, Lutz signed with theBravos de León of theMexican League.[7] In 10 games with León, he batted .290/.378/.316 with five RBI and two stolen bases. Lutz was released by the Bravos on April 12.
On May 4, 2017, Lutz signed with theKansas City T-Bones of theAmerican Association of Independent Professional Baseball. He was released without making an appearance for the team on May 17.
Lutz commenced his comeback from injury with theBrisbane Bandits in theABL for the2015-16 season, where his 3/7 in the2016 Australian Baseball League postseason led to him being named Championship Series MVP and helping the Bandits to their first league championship.
The following season, he played in a more limited capacity trying to break back into affiliated baseball from injuries, but still hit .323/.405/.600 across 19 games through the middle of the2016-17 season.
Lutz rejoined the Bandits full-time for the2017-18 Australian Baseball League season where he broke the single season homerun record with teammate T. J. Bennett with 16. The Bandits went on to win their third consecutive ABL title.
Following the conclusion of the 2017–18 season, he announced his retirement as a player, and later signed on as the new hitting coach of theArizona League Reds for the 2018 season.[8]
On September 6, 2018, Lutz came out of retirement to play again for Brisbane in the2018-19 Australian Baseball League season.[9] He had a relatively lean season, slashing .186/.312/.310, but was key in Brisbane's postseason run, going 4/10 with three home runs to help the Bandits to their fourth successive championship.
As of 2019[update], Lutz was the hitting coach for theArizona League Reds.[10]
Lutz is now the hitting coach for the Brisbane Bandits.
· Baseball Almanac