Apr 2, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (44) pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports Jim Rassol
Jesús Luzardo has experienced a postseason atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park. He's looking forward to having the electric crowd on his side.
Luzardo — who started Game 1 of the 2023 NLWCS for the Miami Marlins against the Phillies — spoke to reporters via Zoom Monday for the first time since being traded from one NL East rival to another on Dec. 22.
"Yeah, I'm super excited," Luzardo said of joining the Phillies. "Like you said, being able to witness the Red October, and being able to pitch in that environment ... being on the opposing side, [I'm] now looking forward to being on the home side obviously.
"There's definitely that home-field advantage," Luzardo continued. "And just being on the Marlins, I always looked forward to coming to Philly. I like the food, I like the city, I like the fans. So it's obviously somewhere that I'm happy to be now."
Luzardo posted a 3.48 ERA and 3.40 FIP across 50 starts between the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He's been a part of some very talented rotations in Miami, with Sandy Alcántara, Pablo López and Eury Pérez among the arms he's been teammates with. But if the Phillies get the 2022-2023 version of Luzardo in a rotation with Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and Andrew Painter, it will blow away any rotation he was a part of in Miami, and probably any in baseball in 2025.
Jesús Luzardo's 2Ks in the 3rd. ✝️🦎 pic.twitter.com/VBOmyXM0YC
He doesn't know all of his new rotation mates, but said he did get to know Suárez when each were selected as part of the 2023 World Baseball Classic to represent Venezuela. Left forearm tightness forced Suárez to withdraw before the tournament began, but Luzardo says that the two have always made sure to say hi to each other when the Phillies and Marlins have played since.
Luzardo was born in Peru, but grew up in Florida, attending Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Luzardo is 27, but said he had heard about Painter dating back to when the now 21-year-old was at Calvary Christian High School in Fort Lauderdale. The two have actually trained together at the same gym in West Palm Beach. Luzardo referred to the No. 1 prospect in the organization — who is expected to make his MLB debut at some point in 2025 — as "a great kid, hard worker and a stud."
Of course, Luzardo is coming off of a lost season, as he posted a 5.00 ERA across 12 starts in 2024. Left elbow tightness and a lumbar stress reaction kept him from building on his pair of strong seasons, and likely prevented him from being traded last summer.
He detailed how the stress reaction in the lower part of his back affected him both on the mound and in day-to-day activities this past summer.
"From what I understood, the stress reaction was just basically a vertebrae in the spine getting basically bothered by constant stress, constant rotation, or the lack of rotation," Luzardo said.
"...It bothered me in a lot of things. Tying my shoes ... bending over to brush my teeth ... to rotating on the mound. So, I mean, it definitely affected me in a lot of different ways. And it was frustrating to try to maneuver that and still get out there and pitch every five days. And it got to the point where I just couldn't do it anymore."
Luzardo, though, feels good now and doesn't have any reason to believe that the stress fracture will be something that flares up again.
"But after the shutdown and as I took time off, every doctor I saw told me the same thing. These things actually heal really well, and once it happens once, it usually doesn't happen again," Luzardo said. "So it's more of just letting it calm down, letting it heal itself and once you do get back, you should be good to go and you shouldn't have a problem with it again."
Jesús Luzardo isn't sure where 'Lizard King' came from.
"To be honest with you, I've never actually been called that. All my friends call me Zeus. It was just easier than saying Jesús for them. But yeah, Lizard King is something new to me, I've never been called that before." pic.twitter.com/UwOBhVzVUi
One thing that Luzardo isn't sure of is why his Baseball Reference page has his nickname listed as "Lizard King."
"To be honest with you, I've never actually been called that. All my friends call me Zeus [Editor's Note: This nickname is probably spelled "Sús," but is pronounced like the Greek God]. It was just easier than saying Jesús for them. But yeah, Lizard King is something new to me, I've never been called that before," Luzardo said with a smirk.
If Luzardo recaptures the form he showed from 2022-2023, there will probably be fans at Citizens Bank Park dressed up both as Lizards and Greek Gods. Luzardo is just looking forward to being a part of one of the best environments in baseball.
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