Apr 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesœs Luzardo (44) reacts after pitching out of the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher
Why did the Miami Marlins trade Jesús Luzardo this past offseason after an injury-plagued 2024? It's unclear, because if the way he's pitched over his first two outings is any indication, it would have taken much more than Starlyn Caba to acquire him this summer. But the Phillies sure are happy they did.
Luzardo struck out 11 batters last Saturday in his Phillies debut in D.C., helping the Phillies to an 11-6 victory over the Washington Nationals.
In his home debut — as the Phillies sported the City Connect uniforms for the first time this season — Luzardo was even better. Across seven shutout innings, he held a lineup that incudes Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith to just two hits, while striking out eight:
Jesús Luzardo limits the Dodgers to two hits over seven shutout innings in his Phillies home debut. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RxwaQpeQ41
Luzardo has made quite the first impression in Philly. Before making his home debut, the Jesús Luzardo Family Foundation announced that for every strikeout he records this year, they will donate $100 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia. Through two starts, he's racked up 19 strikeouts, meaning $1,900 in contributions are coming.
Luzardo's new manager, Rob Thomson, was impressed by how quickly the 27-year-old lefty has gotten involved in the community.
"It's awesome," Thomson said before Friday's game. "I mean, he's been here for 10 minutes and all of a sudden he's giving back to kids. I think it's $100 for every strikeout. That just tells you who he is."
Luzardo explained after his start why the initiative is so important to him.
"For me, it's just something I've always felt passionate about," Luzardo said of giving back. "I was able to do a good bit back home. Now, I'm happy to be able to do it here in Philadelphia and help out any way I can. And tying it into baseball, my job, is something that's a blessing for me."
Jesús Luzardo talks about why it was so
important for him to get involved in the community.
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/6yJirVli7S
If that wasn't enough to to ingratiate him to the city of Philadelphia, a dominant performance in front of what felt like a playoff environment certainly was.
"I was talking to [pitching coach] Caleb [Cotham], that was probably one of my most well executed starts I've ever had in my career," Luzardo said. "Just happy to give us a chance to win."
Luzardo went on to say how much he's enjoyed watching J.T. Realmuto from afar, and now getting to work with him has further strengthened his appreciation for the three-time All-Star catcher. Things got a little dicey in both the eighth and ninth innings after Luzardo departed, but both frames — and ultimately, the game — ended when Realmuto threw out would-be basestealers. For his part, Luzardo said he didn't shake off Realmuto once Friday, with the greatest catcher in franchise history once again reminding the Phillies of his value.
But while Realmuto added another chapter to his already-cemented Phillies legacy Friday, Luzardo was the story. The Phillies had arguably the best pitching staff in baseball last season, and they doubled down on a strength by adding Luzardo. So far, it looks like a great addition by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. If anyone in Philadelphia didn't appreciate the significance of that trade back in December, they surely do now.
