Zach Lutz
Encyclopedia
Zachary "Zach" Craig Lutz (born June 3, 1986) is an American professional baseball player. A right-handed third baseman
, he currently plays in the minor league system of the New York Mets
, of Major League Baseball
.
Zach Lutz was born on June 3, 1986 in Reading, Pennsylvania
. He attended Governor Mifflin Senior High School
in Shillington, Pennsylvania
, then Alvernia University in Reading, where his father Yogi was the baseball coach
. Zach played third base for the Alvernia Crusaders of the Division III Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (now known as the Colonial States Athletic Conference
). He earned preseason All-American honors prior to his 2007 junior year.
In the 2007 Major League Baseball draft, Lutz was chosen in the 5th round by the New York Mets
, and subsequently spent time in the Mets minor league system.
In the 2010 baseball season, Lutz played for the Binghamton Mets
and Buffalo Bisons
, the Mets' Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, despite missing around sixty days due to a stress fracture
in his left foot. In 61 games for Binghamton, Lutz hit 17 home runs, finishing with a .967 OPS
. 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
.
Prior to the 2011 season, the New York Mets
placed Lutz on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft
.
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
, he currently plays in the minor league system of the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
Zach Lutz was born on June 3, 1986 in Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
. He attended Governor Mifflin Senior High School
Governor Mifflin Senior High School
Governor Mifflin Senior High School is the only secondary school in the Governor Mifflin School District. It is located in Shillington, Berks County, Pennsylvania and serves students in the Reading area....
in Shillington, Pennsylvania
Shillington, Pennsylvania
Shillington is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with a population of 5,059 at the 2000 census nestled amongst other suburbs outside of Reading...
, then Alvernia University in Reading, where his father Yogi was the baseball coach
Coach
-Transportation:* Coach , an automotive vehicle for long-distance travel** Coach , the mode of transport using such vehicles** Coach USA, an American bus transport company** Coach Canada, a Canadian bus transport company...
. Zach played third base for the Alvernia Crusaders of the Division III Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (now known as the Colonial States Athletic Conference
Colonial States Athletic Conference
The Colonial States Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III collegiate athletic conference in the Mid-Atlantic United States. There are currently twelve full member institutions as of 2008. The conference's membership, as with most Middle Atlantic conferences, has been shaken up as a result...
). He earned preseason All-American honors prior to his 2007 junior year.
In the 2007 Major League Baseball draft, Lutz was chosen in the 5th round by the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, and subsequently spent time in the Mets minor league system.
In the 2010 baseball season, Lutz played for the Binghamton Mets
Binghamton Mets
The Binghamton Mets are a U.S. minor league baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club...
and Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
, the Mets' Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, despite missing around sixty days due to a stress fracture
Stress fracture
A stress fracture is one type of incomplete fracture in bones. It is caused by "unusual or repeated stress" and also heavy continuous weight on the ankle or leg...
in his left foot. In 61 games for Binghamton, Lutz hit 17 home runs, finishing with a .967 OPS
On-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
. 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
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.
Prior to the 2011 season, the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
placed Lutz on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
.