Lute Barnes
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1972-1973)
Lute Barnes was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1972 to 1973 for the New York Mets, a span of 2 seasons. In 27 career games, he hit .243 with 18 hits and 7 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'10" / 160 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1972-08-06
- Last Game
- 1973-09-26
Full name: Luther Owens Barnes
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 74 | 7 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 5 | .243 | .296 | .324 | .621 | -103 |
Career AVG .243 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .296 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 6.8% below league average.
Career SLG .324 vs. league average .367 across their career seasons — 11.5% below league average.
Career OPS .621 vs. league average .685 across their career seasons — 9.4% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | NYN | NL | 24 | 72 | 5 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 4 | .236 | .243 (-3%) | .310 (-6%) | .353 (-10%) | .664 (-8%) | -102.6 |
| 1973 | NYN | NL | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 27 | 74 | 7 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 5 | .243 | — | — | — | — | -103 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (27 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 13 | 33 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 5 | .364 |
| Away | 14 | 41 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 2 | .146 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-09-26 | NYN | WSN | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973-09-23 | NYN | STL | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1973-09-13 | NYN | PHI | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-10-04 | NYN | WSN | W | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1972-10-02 | NYN | WSN | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1972-09-24 | NYN | PHI | W | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1972-09-17 | NYN | CHC | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1972-09-16 | NYN | CHC | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972-09-12 | NYN | PHI | W | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1972-09-07 | NYN | WSN | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 14 |
| Shortstop | 6 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon State University | Corvallis | OR | 1967, 1968, 1969 |
Lute Barnes: the record in brief
Lute Barnes played a first major league game on August 6, 1972 and a last one on September 26, 1973. Barnes's only club in the season tables is the New York Mets. At 160 pounds on a 5-foot-10 frame, Barnes is listed as a second baseman. The bio says Barnes both batted and threw right-handed. Barnes was born on April 28, 1947, in Forest City, IA, USA. On the record, Lute Barnes was born Luther Owens Barnes.
Barnes finished with 18 hits from 74 at bats in 27 games, which works out to .243, along with 7 RBI. On-base and slugging figures of .296 and .324 give Barnes a career OPS of .621. The .243 career average is close to the .251 the league hit across the same seasons. By OPS the gap is 9.4% below league average (.621 against .685). No season topped the 17 hits of 1972. Even the best average among the busiest seasons, .236 in 1972, did not top the league's .243.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lute Barnes
- What years did Lute Barnes play?
- Lute Barnes played in Major League Baseball from 1972 to 1973.
- Was Lute Barnes a pitcher?
- No. Lute Barnes was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Lute Barnes hit?
- Lute Barnes hit 0 career home runs with 18 hits.
- What was Lute Barnes's career batting average?
- Lute Barnes batted .243 over his career, with 18 hits in 74 at bats.
- How many RBI did Lute Barnes have?
- Lute Barnes drove in 7 runs in his career.
- Is Lute Barnes in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Lute Barnes has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.