All-Time MLB Players From Lafayette: Luke Montz

There have been a number of individuals from Lafayette, and the Acadiana area, that have played in Major League Baseball over the years.

Obviously, the entire state of Louisiana has produced even more.

As a matter of fact, 246 people born in the state of Louisiana have appeared in a Major League Baseball game, beginning in 1874, with John Peters of New Orleans, who played 11 years, with the likes of the Chicago White Stockings, Milwaukee Grays, Providence Grays, Buffalo Bisons, and Pittsburgh Alleghenys.

All summer, we’ll preview a player from the state of Louisiana that appeared in Major League baseball, starting with players from Lafayette, before spotlighting players from the Acadiana area, and then a few from the state itself.

Yesterday, we spotlighted Lance Cormier.

Today, we feature Luke Montz.

Born in Lafayette in 1983, Montz, a right-handed hitting catcher/first baseman, played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball, with the Washington Nationals for 8 games in 2008, and the Oakland A's for 13 games in 2013.

After playing his high school baseball at Acadiana High School in Scott, La., and then his college baseball at Hill Junior College in Hillsboro, Texas, Montz was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 17th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Montz played for the Expos’ minor league affiliate in Melbourne, Florida in 2003, hitting a .223 with 2 home runs and 9 runs batted in, over 32 games, at the age of 19.

After spending 4-and-a-half more seasons in the minor leagues, including time at AAA Columbus (Ohio), Cormier was called up to the big leagues by the Expos, who moved to Washington, D.C. and became the Nationals, in September of 2008, making him the 12th person born in the Lafayette area to ever play in Major League Baseball.

In his big league debut, against the then Atlanta Braves, Montz was 25 years old.

Montz, who collected his first big league hit against the Florida Marlins on September 14, appeared in 10 games in 2008, batting a .143 with one homer and 3 RBI's.

His first MLB homer came on his last game of 2008, on September 28 against the Philadelphia Phillies.

After playing for four different organizations over the next 5 seasons, Montz made his return to the big leagues as a member of the A's on May 1 of 2013, in a match-up against the Los Angeles Angels.

Montz spent the entire month of May with the A's, hitting a .179 with one homer and 5 RBI's.

His homer that season, the second of his career, and the last of his career, was a solo shot against the Yankees, at Yankee Stadium, on May 5.

Montz spent the last two seasons in the minor leagues, including last season with AAA Pawtucket (Rhode Island), and is currently an unsigned free agent.

In 13 seasons in the minor leagues, Montz hit a .235 with 158 homers and 583 RBI's

In parts of 2 seasons in Major League Baseball, Montz hit a .168 with 2 homers and 8 RBI's in 49 at-bats.

Montz made his MLB debut on September 4 of 2008, while making his final appearance on May 30 of 2013.