Luke Wilcox

Luke Wilcox

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 195 lb.
• School Western Michigan University
• High School St. John's High School

• Born November 15, 1973

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Outfielder Luke Wilcox was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1995 amateur draft by the New York Yankees. He had been on the Mid-American Conference All-Conference team as a junior the year before he was drafted. Assigned to the Oneonta Yankees, Wilcox hit .327/.382/.475. He was fourth in the New York-Penn League in batting average and made the league's All-Star team. Wilcox played for the 1996 Tampa Yankees and batted .283/.339/.443. Playing with the 1997 Norwich Navigators, he put up a .277/.323/.387 year.

Luke was then drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays from the New York Yankees in the third round of the 1997 expansion draft. He split the '98 season between the Orlando Rays (.287/.365/.529, 17 HR in 88 G) and the Durham Bulls (.225/.302/.338), alternating between very good play in AA and struggling at AAA. Wilcox hit .270/.341/.529 with 20 homers for the 1999 Rays and .328/.427/.694 with the Bulls. Overall he had 29 homers, 36 doubles and 6 triples, driving in 98 runs.

Wilcox was released by Tampa Bay and re-signed with the Yankees. At age 26, he slumped to .219/.295/.382 for the Columbus Clippers (13 HR in 343 AB) and hit .271/.354/.457 with Norwich. He actually made it to The Show very briefly that summer, wearing #50. Shane Spencer injured his knee on July 9 and was lost for the season. New York recalled Ryan Thompson and called up Wilcox too, on July 13. However, he was sent down after the game of July 16. He was only a stop-gap until Clay Bellinger was eligible to return from Columbus.

Luke started 2001 slowly for Columbus (.150/.205/.325 in 11 games) and went over to the Florida Marlins on June 1; they placed him on the Portland Sea Dogs and he batted .241/.310/.427 with nine homers in 220 AB to finish his professional baseball career.

Wilcox is now an orthopedic surgeon.