| Seth Lugo | |||||||||||||||
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.jpg) Lugo with theNew York Mets in 2022 | |||||||||||||||
| Kansas City Royals – No. 67 | |||||||||||||||
| Pitcher | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1989-11-17)November 17, 1989 (age 36) Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| July 1, 2016, for the New York Mets | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 64–47 | ||||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 3.49 | ||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 954 | ||||||||||||||
| Saves | 16 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Jacob Seth Lugo (born November 17, 1989) is an American professionalbaseballpitcher for theKansas City Royals ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for theNew York Mets andSan Diego Padres. He made his MLB debut in 2016. Lugo played for thePuerto Rican national baseball team in the2017 World Baseball Classic, winning a silver medal.
Lugo attendedParkway High School inBossier City, Louisiana,[1] andCentenary College of Louisiana, where he playedcollege baseball for theCentenary Gentlemen. In three seasons with Centenary, Lugo had a 5.31earned run average (ERA).[2]
TheNew York Mets selected him in the 34th round, with the 1,032nd overall selection, of the2011 MLB draft.[2] He signed with the Mets, receiving a $20,000signing bonus.[3]
Lugo missed the 2012 season due tospondylolisthesis, which requiredspinal fusion surgery.[4] After the procedure he was bedridden at his mother's home for three months. Lugo returned to pitch in 2013 for theBrooklyn Cyclones of theLow-ANew York–Penn League and theSavannah Sand Gnats of theSingle-ASouth Atlantic League, pitching to a 4–6win–loss record with a 3.39 ERA in 12games started.[5] He pitched for theSt. Lucie Mets of theHigh-AFlorida State League in 2014, and for theBinghamton Mets of theDouble-AEastern League andLas Vegas 51s of theTriple-APacific Coast League in 2015. The Mets added him to their40-man roster after the 2015 season.[6]
Lugo began the 2016 season with Triple-A Las Vegas.[7]
The Mets promoted Lugo to the major leagues on June 30.[7] Lugo made his Major League debut against theChicago Cubs on July 1, 2016, throwing two shutout innings in a victory.[8] On August 25, Lugo recorded his first major league win and hit, throwing five shutout innings against theSt. Louis Cardinals atBusch Stadium before exiting withmuscle cramps.[9] Following that, Lugo became a key cog in the Mets' injury-riddled rotation, pitching to a 2.67 ERA throughout the season and finishing with a 5–2 record. Lugo would have been the second or third starter for New York in the postseason had the Mets advanced past the Wild-Card Game.
Entering the 2017 season, Lugo was expected to provide depth the Mets' pitching staff. After injuries to other starters, Lugo found himself battling withRobert Gsellman for the final spot in the Opening Day starting rotation. However, Lugo himself was diagnosed with a partial tear of theulnar collateral ligament in his pitching arm after competing forPuerto Rico in the2017 World Baseball Classic. The injury caused him to miss the first two months of the regular season.[10] He returned to make his first start of the season for the Mets on June 11, 2017, against theAtlanta Braves, getting the win after pitching seven innings of one-run ball. On Saturday July 15, 2017, Lugo hit his first major leaguehome run against theColorado Rockies. On August 15, Lugo was again placed on thedisabled list with an impingement in his pitching shoulder.[10] He returned on August 27, pitching3+2⁄3 innings with 5 strikeouts in apitch-limited start.[11] He continued making shorter starts throughout September, finishing the season with a 7-5 record and an ERA of 4.71, with 85 strikeouts and 25 walks over101+1⁄3 innings pitched.[12]
Lugo performed very well the following season, posting a 2.66 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 54 games. He was once again effective in 2019, his first season in which he was exclusively a relief pitcher, posting a 2.70 ERA while striking out 104 batters and walking only 16 in 80 innings. Lugo struggled during the 2020 season, registering a 5.15 ERA and 3-4 record with 47 strikeouts in 36.2 innings of work.[13]
On May 17, 2021, Lugo was placed on the 60-day injured list after undergoing right elbow surgery.[14] He was activated on May 31.[15]
On April 29, 2022, Lugo pitched in relief in acombined no-hitter against thePhiladelphia Phillies, recording the last two outs of the top of the 8th inning.[16]
On December 22, 2022, Lugo signed a one-year, $15 million contract with theSan Diego Padres, containing a player option for the 2024 season.[17] He made 26 starts for San Diego during the 2023 season, posting an 8-7 record and 3.57 ERA with 140 strikeouts across146+1⁄3 innings pitched. On November 2, 2023, Lugo declined his player option and became a free agent.[18]
On December 14, 2023, Lugo signed a three-year, $45 million contract with theKansas City Royals.[19] In 2024, he was named to theAll-Star team after having a stellar first half of the season in which he led the MLB ininnings pitched (122), tied for the MLB lead inwins (11), and led all qualifiedAmerican League pitchers inERA (2.21).[20][21][22][23] On July 21, 2024, Lugo threw his first careercomplete game; in 9 innings, he struck out 6 batters and allowed 3 hits, no walks, and one earned run in a 4-1 win over theChicago White Sox.[24] He finished 2nd inAmerican LeagueCy Young Award balloting.[25] On July 27, 2025, Lugo signed a two-year extension with the Royals that will begin in 2026 with a vesting, performance-based option for 2028, and is worth a guaranteed $46 million. Lugo will receive $20 million each in 2026 and 2027 with a $3 million signing bonus. The vesting option is worth $20 million, or there is a club option for $17 million with a $3 million buyout.[26]
Lugo chose to honor his paternal grandfather, who was Puerto Rican, by playing for thePuerto Rican national baseball team in the2017 World Baseball Classic. He was the starting pitcher againstVenezuela in the first round and againstUnited States in both the second round and the Championship Game. He won both the first and second-round games.[27] In the Championship Game, Lugo did not have the same luck on the mound as Puerto Rico lost, 8–0.
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| Preceded by | No-hitter pitcher April 29, 2022 (withTylor Megill,Drew Smith,Joely Rodríguez &Edwin Díaz) | Succeeded by |
