Donald Lutz

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #28 prospect in 2015
  When Joey Votto missed much of 2014 with a series of injuries, Lutz stood as the logical replacement. The Reds looked past him, though, and chose backup catcher Brayan Pena. Even with the Reds out of the playoff race, Lutz served only as a pinch-hitter. He's a power hitter with a long, high-maintenance swing who struggles without regular at-bats, so his big league role was the worst use of his talents. He has been granted a fourth minor league option year, which gives the Reds one more year to evaluate him. The mas- sive Lutz is an fringe-average runner, but he's below-average defensively in left field or at first base, which played a part in him not getting regular big league time. He has the power to produce 20-plus home runs, but his defense and his below-average hit tool will likely preclude him from an everyday big league job.
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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #16 prospect in 2014
  Thanks in part to the fact that he was already on the 40-man roster, Lutz made it to Cincinnati in 2013, becoming one of the first German citizens to make it to the big leagues. Lutz's swing, like that of many power hitters, is somewhat high-maintenance. After playing sparingly with the Reds, the rust showed upon his return to Double-A Pensacola, and he missed further time with a broken finger. Lutz's swing has a pronounced waggle as he prepares for the load, but he generates excellent bat speed, which helps make up for the mechanical flaw. He's turned high-90s fastballs into home runs with plus raw power. Lutz always has struggled to hit lefthanders and projects as a slightly below-average hitter at best. He's an average runner even at 250 pounds but below-average in left field and at first base, with a below-average arm. He's ready for Triple-A Louisville but would be better off not spending too much of 2014 on the Cincinnati bench.
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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #18 prospect in 2013
  The best German hockey player in the minors, Lutz didn't pick up a baseball bat until he was a teenager. He ended up hitting lefthanded because of his hockey background--it felt more natural even though he's usually righthanded. Signed out of MLB's European academy, Lutz is a dual German/American citizen who was born in the United States but has lived most of his life in Germany. He is a better athlete than his 6-foot-3, 235-pound frame would suggest. He's an average runner who turns in 4.2-second times to first. Lutz is still raw defensively, especially at first base. His best hope to make the big leagues with the Reds is as an outfielder. He has enough athleticism to play in left field, but he's currently well below average there thanks to inexperience, modest instincts and below-average arm. At the plate, Lutz is more promising. He has well above-average power with the potential to be an average hitter, though he needs to improve his selectivity at the plate. His numbers dropped off significantly after a midseason promotion to Double-A, in part because he was recovering from an oblique injury. Lutz remains raw for his age thanks to his unusual background. He'll have to improve defensively and prove he can hit advanced pitching to make the big leagues. He'll return to Pensacola to try to do that.