Jesus Luzardo Is Built For Pitching Against The Best Teams
For most of this season, Jesus Luzardo looked like an ace. After 10 starts, his ERA was 1.95, and the Phillies were 7-3 in those starts. In his next start,…
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JUNE 22: Jesús Luzardo #44 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch in the top of the first inning against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on June 22, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)For most of this season, Jesus Luzardo looked like an ace. After 10 starts, his ERA was 1.95, and the Phillies were 7-3 in those starts. In his next start, he gave up 3 runs early, but still battled back to pitch 7 innings. That was where it unraveled.
Luzardo gave up 20 runs in the next 2 games, getting through just 5.2 innings. His next start was good, but then the Marlins hung 4 runs on him in 5 innings. People were beginning to wonder if maybe the first 2 months were a mirage. But on Sunday night vs the Mets, he reminded us all that he is a top of the rotation guy. That great start also reminded us of his greatest asset this season, his performance in big games.
The 3 biggest threats to the Phillies this season are the Dodgers, the Cubs, and the Mets. Luzardo has now faced all 3 of those teams, and faced the Cubs twice. In those 4 games, he pitched 25.2 innings, gave up 1 earned run, struck out 30 hitters, and got all 4 wins. That is good for an ERA of 0.35 and a WHIP of 0.91.
When the lights were bright, Luzardo shined brighter. Two of those were National Games with all eyes on them. The Dodgers are the best lineup in baseball, and he pitched 7 scoreless against them with only 2 hits. Then, vs the Mets, with the division lead on the line, he went 6.2 scoreless innings with only 3 hits.
You can't take away those 2 terrible starts. They happened. But just for context, without them, he would have a 2.13 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. For the vast majority of this season, Jesus Luzardo pitched like a Cy Young contender. He fell off hard for a week. Last night's masterpiece vs the Mets is a reminder that this is a guy you want on the mound in an important playoff game. After Zack Wheeler in game 1, Luzardo is one hell of a follow-up in game 2.
By the way, Zack Wheeler is 2-0 vs these teams, with 11 IPs, 1 ER, 15 Ks, 7 hits, and 4 BBs (0.82 ERA, 1.00 WHIP).
Cristopher Sanchez only faced the Dodgers, and the start went poorly. Ranger Suarez has yet to face any of these 3 teams. But we have seen what Ranger Suarez is capable of in the playoffs and how well he is pitching right now. Plus, in 65 starts since becoming a regular starter, Sanchez has a 3.25 ERA.
The point is, this rotation is very good. If you are looking for a reason to believe, those 4 guys are it. Jesus Luzardo, in particular, gave you a great reason to feel good about this team in the playoffs.
