Lucas Lester Luetge ( born March 24, 1987) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

, and

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

Career

Amateur

Luetge attended

Bellville High School Bellville High School is a public high school located in the city of Bellville, Texas in Austin County, United States and classified as a 4A school by the University Interscholastic League (UIL). It is a part of the Bellville Independent School ...

Bellville, Texas Bellville is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Austin County. The city's population was 4,206 at the 2020 census. Bellville is on the eastern edge of the Texas-German belt, and Bellville is known for its German culture and descend ...

. He enrolled at

San Jacinto College San Jacinto College () is a public community college in the Greater Houston area, with its campuses in Pasadena and Houston, Texas. Established in 1961, San Jacinto College originally consisted of the independent school districts (ISD) of Chan ...

, where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

, where he had an 11–3 record and 3.56 ERA over two seasons. The

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

drafted him twice without signing him, in the 31st round of the 2005 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft out of high school, then in the 18th round of the 2006 MLB Draft, after his first season in junior college. Luetge then transferred to

Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...

, where he played baseball for the

Rice Owls The Rice Owls are the sports teams representing Houston's Rice University in college sports. The name comes from the owls in Rice's crest. Rice participates in NCAA Division I athletics. A member of the American Athletic Conference, Rice sponsors ...

Milwaukee Brewers

The

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

drafted Luetge in the 21st round, with the 638th overall selection, of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. He spent his first professional season with the rookie-level

Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pioneer League located in Helena, Montana, from 1978 to 2018. The team played their home games at Kindrick Legion Field, which was built in 1939. They were affiliated with the Milwaukee ...

and Single-A

West Virginia Power The Charleston Dirty Birds are an United States, American professional baseball team based in Charleston, West Virginia. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a MLB Partner League, partner league ...

. Luetge spent the 2009 season with the High-A

Brevard County Manatees The Brevard County Manatees were a minor league baseball team of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League from 1994 to 2016. They were based in Viera, Florida, Viera, Florida, and played their home games at Space Coast Stadium. The team left Brev ...

, posting a 6-7 record and 4.48 ERA with 75 strikeouts in innings pitched across 27 games. Luetge split the 2010 campaign between Brevard County and the Double-A

Huntsville Stars The Huntsville Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Huntsville, Alabama, from 1985 to 2014. They competed in the Southern League as the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics from 1985 to 1998 and Milw ...

. In 39 appearances for the two affiliates, he compiled an aggregate 4-3 record and 2.95 ERA with 68 strikeouts across innings pitched. Luetge made 46 appearances for Huntsville in 2011, recording a 3.13 ERA with 69 strikeouts and three saves over 69 innings of work.

Seattle Mariners

The

selected Luetge in the

Rule 5 Draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) 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 lea ...

on December 8, 2011. On April 7, 2012, Luetge made his MLB debut, striking out his only batter on 3 pitches and earning a hold. On June 8, he was one of six Mariners pitchers that

no-hit In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine ...

the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

. He recorded one out, a

James Loney James Anthony Loney (born May 7, 1984) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Mets, and in the KBO League for ...

sacrifice bunt In baseball, a sacrifice bunt (also called a sacrifice hit) is a batter's act of deliberately bunting the ball, before there are two outs, in a manner that allows a baserunner to advance to another base. The batter is almost always put out, a ...

. Luetge was the fourth pitcher, following Kevin Millwood, Charlie Furbush, and Stephen Pryor. He did not allow an earned run in his first 25 appearances, a streak that lasted until June 19. In his rookie season, Luetge registered a 3.98 ERA with 38 strikeouts and two saves in innings of work. The next year, Luetge pitched to a 4.86 ERA in 35 appearances, along with 27 strikeouts in 37 innings pitched, while splitting time between Seattle and the Triple-A

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, ...

. Luetge spent 2014 up and down between Tacoma and Seattle as well, recording a 5.00 ERA with seven strikeouts in nine innings pitched in the majors. Lucas Leutge

Luetgue pitched once for Seattle in 2015, thowing scoreless innings in relief on April 25. He would not pitch in the majors again until 2021. After spending most of the season in Triple-A, Luetge was outrighted off of the Mariners

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

on September 5. On November 6, he elected free agency.

Los Angeles Angels

On November 17, 2015, Luetge signed a minor league contract with the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

. On May 22, 2016, Luetge was selected to the Angels' active roster, however he was designated for assignment on May 25 without making an appearance for the big league club. On May 27, he cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-A

Salt Lake Bees The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team that plays in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. Based in South Jordan, Utah, the team plays its home games at The Ballpark at Am ...

, where he spent the remainder of the season. On October 3, Luetge elected free agency.

Cincinnati Reds

On November 25, 2016, Luetge signed a minor league contract with the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

. Luetge was assigned to the Triple-A

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, wi ...

. On June 1, 2017, the Reds released Luetge.

Baltimore Orioles

On June 4, 2017, Luetge signed a minor league deal with the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

. He pitched in four games for the Triple-A

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's loc ...

, logging a 4.50 ERA with three strikeouts in 4 innings of work. Luetge elected free agency on November 6. Luetge had

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...

in mid-2017, which kept him from pitching in all of 2018.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On February 4, 2019, Luetge signed a minor league contract with the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

. In 2019, his 55 games pitched tied for the lead in the minor leagues. After splitting the season with the Double-A

Jackson Generals The Jackson Generals were a professional baseball team located in Jackson, Tennessee. From 1998 to 2020, they were a part of Minor League Baseball's Southern League (SL) as the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs (1998–2006), Seattle Mari ...

and Triple-A

Reno Aces The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, w ...

, Luetge elected free agency on November 4.

Oakland Athletics

On November 25, 2019, Luetge signed a minor league contract with the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

that included an invitation to major league spring training. Luetge did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. He was added to the Athletics' 60-man player pool for the season but spent the entire year at the alternate site. Luetge became a free agent on November 2, 2020.

New York Yankees

Luetge signed a minor league contract with the

for the 2021 season, receiving a non-roster invitation to spring training. After a strong spring training in which he accrued 18 strikeouts in innings pitched, Luetge was selected to the Yankees'

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...

roster on March 31. On April 3, 2021, in a game against the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

, Luetge appeared in his first major league game since April 25, 2015. He finished the season with a 2.74 ERA in innings across 57 appearances. Luetge made the Yankees bullpen for the 2022 season. In 2022 he was 4–4 with a 2.67 ERA. He was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

on December 21, following the signing of Tommy Kahnle.

Atlanta Braves

On December 28, 2022, the Yankees traded Luetge to the

for minor leaguers Caleb Durbin and

Indigo Diaz Indigo Dunham Diaz (born October 14, 1998) is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher in the New York Yankees organization. Career Amateur Diaz played Little League baseball with the Forest Hills team, then participated in the British Columbia ...

. On January 13, 2023, Luetge signed a one-year, $1.55 million contract with the Braves, avoiding salary arbitration. Luetge made 9 appearances out of Atlanta's

bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if ...

, but struggled immensely, with a 10.24 ERA and 10 strikeouts in innings pitched. On May 30, Luetge was designated for assignment by the Braves following the promotion of AJ Smith-Shawver. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-A

Gwinnett Stripers The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia ...

on June 6. On July 13, Luetge returned to Atlanta's major league roster. On July 24, Luetge was designated for assignment by the Braves following Atlanta's acquisition of Pierce Johnson. He again cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A on July 26. Luetge once more had his contract selected to the major league roster on September 18. He tossed two scoreless innings against the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

but was designated for assignment the following day. On September 21, Luetge cleared waivers and was outrighted to Gwinnett. He elected free agency on October 13.

Boston Red Sox

On February 10, 2024, Luetge signed a minor league contract with the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

. In 31 appearances for the Triple-A

Worcester Red Sox The Worcester Red Sox (nicknamed the WooSox) are a professional minor league baseball team based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Beginning play in 2021, the team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, succeeding the Pawtucket Red Sox. Th ...

, he compiled a 3.02 ERA with 47 strikeouts and 6 saves across innings pitched. On August 3, Luetge opted out of his contract and elected free agency.

Chicago Cubs

On August 7, 2024, Luetge signed a minor league contract with the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

. In 13 appearances for the Triple-A

Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. T ...

, he struggled to a 6.48 ERA with 24 strikeouts across innings pitched. Luetge elected free agency following the season on November 4. Luetge announced his retirement from professional baseball via

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

on February 28, 2025.

Scouting report

Luetge threw a variety of pitches. When he debuted with the Mariners, he had a four-seam and

two-seam fastball A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and softball. It is a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball and can also include late-breaking action caused by varying the pressure of the index and middle fingers on t ...

that average about 90 mph, a sweeping slider in the low 80s, a

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

in the mid-upper 70s, and an occasional

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball, but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced spee ...

. When he returned to the majors in 2021, he threw a cutter, curveball, and slider or sweeper. Luetge often worked as a

left-handed specialist In baseball, a left-handed specialist (also known as lefty specialist) is a relief pitcher who throws left-handed and specializes in pitching to left-handed Batter (baseball), batters, weak right-handed batters, and switch-hitters who bat poorly ...

. In his career, lefties had a .605

on-base plus slugging On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...

(OPS) against him, while righties hit him better, with a .769 OPS.

Personal life

Luetge and his wife Lacie grew up together in Texas and began dating in high school. They have three children. Luetge's parents are Rocky and Melissa Luetge. They own a convenience store in

Industry, Texas Industry is a town in Austin County, Texas, United States, at the junction of State Highway 159 (SH 159) and Farm to Market Road 109 (FM 109). The population was 268 at the 2020 census. Industry was the first permanent German settlem ...

. Luetge has two brothers, Lance and Leif. Lance pitched in college and independent baseball from 2007 to 2009. His grandfather, Jack Flinn, was a high school basketball coach. Luetge grew up rooting for the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

. He also raised and showed pigs and other livestock. He said in 2014 that he loved the American television series

The Office ''The Office'' is the title of several mockumentary sitcoms based on a British series originally created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as '' The Office'' in 2001. The original series also starred Gervais as manager and primary charac ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Luetge, Lucas 1987 births Living people Arizona League Mariners players Atlanta Braves players Baseball players from Austin County, Texas Brevard County Manatees players Helena Brewers players Huntsville Stars players Iowa Cubs players Jackson Generals (Southern League) players Louisville Bats players Major League Baseball pitchers Mississippi Braves players New York Yankees players Norfolk Tides players Phoenix Desert Dogs players Reno Aces players Rice Owls baseball players Salt Lake Bees players San Jacinto Central Ravens baseball players Seattle Mariners players Surprise Rafters players Tacoma Rainiers players West Virginia Power players Worcester Red Sox players