Not long ago, Jesus Luzardo was gliding through Major League Baseball’s National League, looking every bit the Cy Young candidate the Phillies hoped they’d acquired. Fast forward two starts and the left-hander is now etched into the history books for all the wrong reasons.
From Dominant to Disastrous in Record Time
On Thursday afternoon against the Blue Jays, Luzardo’s outing imploded almost immediately. He gave up nine hits and eight earned runs in just 2 1/3 innings of work as Toronto cruised to a 9-1 victory over the Phillies.
That alone would be concerning, but it came on the heels of his previous start. Saturday’s brutal appearance against the Milwaukee Brewers when he surrendered 12 hits and 12 earned runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Stack it all together, and you get a jaw-dropping stat line: 21 hits and 20 earned runs over 5 2/3 innings. That’s historically bad. According to multiple outlets, no pitcher in modern MLB history has ever allowed more earned runs over a two-start span.
What Happened to the Phillies Ace?
This is the same Jesus Luzardo who started the year 5-0 with a 2.15 ERA across 11 starts—a pitcher who had been more efficient and more dominant than nearly anyone in baseball. And it’s not like Luzardo is coming off an insignificant résumé either: 208 strikeouts and a 3.58 ERA across 32 starts for the Marlins in 2023.
Philadelphia was aggressive in acquiring Luzardo this past offseason, sending multiple prospects to division rival Miami in hopes of adding a front-line starter behind Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola.
Now, they’re left scratching their heads.
Injury or Slump? Phillies Search for Answers
There’s been no injury report, no velocity restriction, and no public concern from the coaching staff about his mechanics. But something is clearly off. Command? Fatigue? A tipping issue? It’s all on the table as the Phillies try to diagnose the sudden nosedive.
Luzardo missed time last season with an arm injury, so naturally, there’s some unease about potential physical issues re-emerging. Yet, at least for now, the team is treating this as a slump—albeit a historically catastrophic one.
Can He Turn It Back Around?
With the Phillies still sitting atop the NL standings, the pressure is on to get Luzardo right—and fast. Philadelphia can’t afford to have their most recent high-profile acquisition become a liability just as the playoff picture starts to form.
Something has to give before his next scheduled outing, whether it’s a mental reset, mechanical fix, or a brief trip to the bullpen. Because if Jesus Luzardo is going to be a key cog in Philly’s October dreams, he’ll need to wake up from this June nightmare—immediately.
