May 26, 2023:  Marlins left-hander Jesús Luzardo has shown flashes of brilliance over the course of his still-young career, tempered occasionally by bouts of inconsistency that have to this point held him back from fully realizing the promise he’s exhibited on his best days.

With Miami beginning a road trip through San Francisco and Colorado 2-5, most recently featuring a crushing walk-off loss at Coors Field, the club wanted to begin this new series with the Angels on a strong note.

Tasked with facing a lineup headlined by Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in the opener at Angel Stadium, Luzardo would have to demonstrate his ability to “compete” on the mound -- something Marlins manager Skip Schumaker emphasized pregame.

And for five solid innings, Luzardo did just that. Though his pitch count got away from him -- 91 pitches prompted Schumaker to go to the bullpen to begin the sixth -- Luzardo rose to the occasion, keeping the Angels’ potent bats at bay just enough in the Marlins' 6-2 win.

On the same mound that saw Luzardo notch a career-high 12 strikeouts in a start in April 2022, the southpaw held Trout and Ohtani a combined 1-for-6, with three strikeouts and a double play between them. Luzardo faced 21 batters and secured first-pitch strikes to 11 of them, generating 12 whiffs on his slider, the final pitch in six of his seven strikeouts.
“His slider was real tonight," said Schumaker. "He made some really good hitters look bad."
 
Coming on the heels of his toughest outing of the season (six earned runs in five innings in San Francisco on Sunday), Luzardo put together the bounce-back start he needed.

“He did a really good job of navigating through some really tough innings,” added Schumaker. “I felt like he was going to go six or seven today, but he got into some deep counts and it kind of cost him there.”

Luzardo credited his success to the rapport he had with catcher Nick Fortes, a chemistry that paid off when the pair clamped down on an attempted Angels rally in the second inning, striking out Neto to prevent any damage.

Luzardo has now logged 11 innings at Angel Stadium in his career over three games (two starts), scattering 10 hits, allowing just two earned runs and two walks while striking out 21.
What is it about this ballpark that makes him pitch so well?

“Yeah, I don't know,” said Luzardo. “I feel even back in my time with Oakland, I’ve pitched well here, and I don't know what it is. But I do like to pitch here, the mound just feels comfortable.” (A Garro - MLB.com - May 27, 2023)

Even before his senior year of high school, 2016, Luzardo committed to the Univ. of Miami. Jesus was also recruited by Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Florida and North Carolina.

Born in Peru to Venezuelan parents, Luzardo will become the first ever Peruvian-born Major Leaguer when he debuts. The quality of his stuff ensures that he will be remembered as more than the answer to a trivia question.

Jesus moved with his family to Florida when he was only one year old. He went on to attend Stoneman Douglas High, the Baseball America High School Team of the Year in 2016, his senior season.

Luzardo attended lots of Marlins games while growing up.

Luzardo was inspired by the left arm of Johan Santana, who pitched for the Twins and Mets and was among the best lefties in baseball in his prime.

"I loved the way he just got after hitters,” Luzardo said. “His changeup was his best pitch. I love to throw a changeup. He really, really mixed his pitches well. He wasn’t a tall guy, probably 6-foot. So I have the same stature as him, and I just modeled my game after him.”

Now, Jesus loves watching Felix Hernandez work the craft.

Luzardo was born in Peru, but his family hails from Venezuela.

Jesus is a very good student and has great character.

He loves to go fishing.

Luzardo's favorite quote: "Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best." –Tim Duncan.

In Jesus' fourth start of the 2016 season for Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the ace injured his throwing arm, and his season was done. This was a tough pill to swallow for the Eagles, but co-captain Luzardo calmed the team’s sails with a speech the day after his injury.

“He said, ‘I’m gonna be fine, don’t worry about me. Go win a championship for me and for yourselves,’” coach Todd Fitzgerald said.

Luzardo was a true leader for the Eagles, even without taking the mound. He came to every practice throughout the year and rallied the team through his words and actions. Through his attitude, Luzardo inspired the whole team and gave them an added drive on the field.

In 2016, Luzardo got drafted by the Nationals (see Transactions below). 

In 2017, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Luzardo as the 15th-best prospect in the Nationals organization.

After being acquired by the A's, Jesus was their 5th-best prospect entering 2018 spring training. He moved up to the #1 A's prospect in the spring of 2019. And he stayed there in 2020.

SHOOTING AT HIGH SCHOOL

Feb 14, 2018: At least three times a week for nearly two months, A's Minor Leaguer Jesus Luzardo returned to his alma mater to go through his offseason throwing routine. This day wasn't supposed to be any different in Parkland, Florida. Except the pitcher was cautioned against showing up this time. A nightmare was unfolding at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High when the school's baseball coach texted Luzardo: "There's a shooter."

Luzardo, just 20 and two years removed from his high school graduation, frantically attempted to reach some of the students he had been sharing a field with this winter. "They were all texting me when it was going on," Luzardo said at the A's Minor League facilities. "Some of them were telling me they were in a closet, some of them were saying they were hearing gunshots. It was pretty tough."

By day's end, he would learn that 17 people were killed by the accused gunman, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, who attended school with Luzardo. Dozens more were injured. "His face seemed really familiar," Luzardo said. "I don't think I had him in a class, but I feel like I saw him somewhere. I know friends who told me that they had him in classes, and I know someone who sat next to him in class. I knew who he was."

Chaos has turned to stillness in this South Florida pocket, disbelief and anger—but also action to prevent this from happening elsewhere—engulfing a close-knit community.

"Parkland is a tiny town," said Luzardo, who has called it home since age 2. "Everyone basically knows each other, so if you go to Douglas, you basically know everyone who went there. The majority of the people there were just kind of in shock when it happened. It kind of felt like an emptiness, you could say. The last two days I was there, it just wasn't the same. You could go to the gym, you could go to eat, and just everyone was down. It was just a weird feeling."

Luzardo attended a vigil and decided to go forward with plans to fly to Phoenix in preparation for the A's mini-camp. A's Minor League pitching coordinator Gil Patterson told Luzardo to take his time, "but I told him, 'It's OK, I think I'm ready,'" said Luzardo, who was traded to the A's from the Nationals in the Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson deal. "I was prepared to come out here and do what I need to do.

"Even though my family wasn't directly involved, we knew people who got hurt, and it was just tough in general. But I had a lot of support from my family and friends telling me, 'You gotta go do your thing.' But I'm excited for what's to come and definitely represent for Stoneman Douglas and do what I can for the community." Already, Luzardo has established a memorial fund for the school's athletic director, Chris Hixon, who was killed in the shooting, leaving two sons.

"Every time I would see him, he always had a smile on his face," Luzardo said. "He came to a lot of our baseball banquets. He was just a really nice guy. He was always at our baseball games supporting us, helping us out if we were ever in trouble. If you were ever in need, you would just go to him and he would be a nice guy about it." (J Lee - MLB.com - Feb 17, 2018)

“He’s extremely special, on the inside and out,” A's pitching coordinator Gil Patterson said.

As Luzardo prepared to leave for 2018 spring training, a gunman shot up his high school, killing 17 of his former schoolmates and teachers in Parkland, Florida.

“His mentor, Chris Hixon, was killed—the athletic director who had helped him his whole life,” Patterson said. “He started a foundation to help Hixon’s son.”

Hixon was slain while protecting students at Douglas High, where Luzardo spoke at campus events and talked to students. He graduated from the school in 2016, the year the Nationals made him a third-round pick.

July 2018: Luzardo represented the Athletics in the All-Star Futures game.

For the entire 2018 season, no minor league pitcher rose more sharply than Jesus Lazardo.

September 9, 2019: The Jesus Luzardo Era has begun! He joined the club at Minute Maid Park to begin a four-game series against the American League West-leading Astros. 

Triple-A Las Vegas manager Fran Riordan delivered the good news to Luzardo shortly after the club was eliminated from the Pacific Coast League playoffs on September 8. Overjoyed, the lefty immediately grabbed his phone and reached out to his family and friends to inform them of his callup.

“It was something I’ve dreamed about since I was young. It definitely lived up to the hype, I guess you could say,” Luzardo said. “When Fran told me, calling my friends, parents, my sister. It was something I’ve always looked forward to and I was happy I was able to do it.”    

The call to his parents, Jesús Sr. and Monica, was especially satisfying. These two served as a guiding light for Luzardo during his grueling rehab process after undergoing Tommy John surgery as an 18-year-old high schooler. From driving him to appointments with the doctor to providing emotional support, they followed him every step of the way, never losing hope that this day would eventually come.

“We are super excited for him. God bless him and give him a long and healthy career,” Jesús Sr. said. “He deserves this. He worked hard. This has been his dream since he was a little kid. We’re confident he can perform at the MLB level and help the team. Just super proud of him.”  (Gallegos - mlb.com)

MLB debut (Sept 11, 2019): Jesus walked off the mound after a groundout with a calm stride as he kept a stoic look on his face. Meanwhile, a group of about 30 friends and family members who made the trip from his home state of Florida went wild in Minute Maid Park's lower level with roars of cheers as they watched young No. 44 fulfill his childhood dream. He pitched 3 innings of 1-hit, 1-run ball.

"When I came off in the third inning, I looked up and saw them all," Luzardo said. "I tried not to pay attention. I know they were going crazy, though."  (Gallegos - mlb.com)

2019 Season: Luzardo embraced the high expectations as MLB Pipeline’s top-rated left-handed pitching prospect that accompanied him to Spring Training. And once Luzardo’s call to the Majors finally came in September, the 21-year-old certainly did not shy away from the spotlight. Jesus looked more like a poised veteran than a rookie in his 2019 big league cameo. From his electric 98 mph fastball to the falling-off-the-table changeup, Luzardo left the A’s salivating at what he might be able to accomplish over a full season.

Thrust into the middle of a postseason race, Luzardo pitched only 12 innings of relief, but all were of great importance. He posted a 1.50 ERA with 16 strikeouts and just three walks, pitching multiple innings and recording a hold or save in four of his six appearances.

“He was a factor late in games,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “After [just about] one appearance, when he came in the game, it was all about how we were going to score some runs because we knew he had it taken care of on his end. For a young guy to be that impactful late in games, [the] seventh, eighth and ninth inning, that early in your career, you don’t see that often.

What went right in 2019?

Luzardo settled in rather quickly, kicking off his Major League career with a bang on Sept. 11, as he mowed down a potent Astros lineup by retiring 9 of the 10 batters he faced over three innings in an Oakland win at Minute Maid Park. That debut set the tone for a superb run that earned Luzardo a spot on the roster for the American League Wild Card Game against the Rays.

Even in a couple of outings where Luzardo did not have his best command, he still found ways to escape self-created jams unscathed. And the rookie impressed by not just relying on his overpowering fastball, but approaching hitters with a craftiness rarely seen from pitchers in their younger years.

What went wrong in 2019?

Injuries left Luzardo’s chances of pitching a single inning for Oakland this season in serious doubt. While he had the inside track on a spot in the starting rotation coming out of Spring Training, a muscle strain that Luzardo sustained in his left shoulder just a week before the start of the regular season kept him out for three months.

He returned to Minor League action in June, but was sidelined again less than a month later, this time with a Grade 2 lat strain. Had the latter injury not occurred, Luzardo likely would have been in Oakland in a starting role earlier than his eventual Sept. 9 callup. Entering 2020, the A’s believe that Luzardo, who also underwent Tommy John surgery in 2016, is not injury-prone, though they’ll discuss whether or not to have him on some type of innings limit.

Best moment in 2019?

When the Oakland Coliseum lights were shining at their brightest, Luzardo remained fearless on the mound. He was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing night for the A’s in their Wild Card Game loss to the Rays, racking up four strikeouts over three scoreless innings of relief.

“I was nervous, but once I started warming up, the nerves were gone,” Luzardo said. “Once I got the first out, I was fine.”  (Martin Gallegos - MLB.com.- Oct. 24, 2019)

Jan 25, 2020: Jesus had every right to return to his hometown of Parkland, Florida this offseason and flex his new status as a big leaguer. He could easily have paraded around South Beach popping his collar. But the lefthander is true to his roots, and he’s not about to switch up on anyone who helped him reach this point.

Coming off a season in which he lived up to the hype of being the A’s No. 1 prospect, Luzardo’s offseason hasn’t gone much differently than the previous two. He still hung around his old stomping grounds at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, like he usually does, working out with the baseball team in preparation for the season. Only this time, Luzardo used his big league card to pull some strings for his community.

Luzardo teamed up with Colton Welker, a Rockies Minor League third baseman and childhood friend who was a teammate at Stoneman Douglas, to organize a youth baseball clinic in Parkland. The free event was held in January at the high school’s baseball field and open to all Parkland Little Leaguers ages 8-12.

“It was pretty cool,” said Luzardo, who had 16 strikeouts and a 1.50 ERA over six appearances in his September callup to go along with three scoreless innings in the American League Wild Card Game. “I actually went back and practiced with them. I go back a good amount.”

After endearing himself to the folks back home, Luzardo returned to the Bay Area looking to do the same with the Oakland Coliseum faithful as he prepares to embark on his first full season in the Majors. He already appears to be off to a good start, as he received some of the loudest cheers from the announced crowd of 32,000 supporters who descended upon Jack London Square for A’s FanFest.

“For him to get a hand like that after only being with us for basically a month shows that our fan base is very aware,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “He’s just a talented guy. There are very few younger players that I’ve been around that have walked into a Major League clubhouse with the confidence he’s had. I remember the first time I walked into one, I just wanted to stand in the corner and not say anything or be noticed. He walked in saying he was here to help.”

Whenever the 22-year-old lefty took the mound in 2019, whatever level it was, he found success. (He posted a 2.51 ERA over 43 innings in the Minors.) Really, his only opponent that posed a serious threat was his own health.

Luzardo dealt with separate shoulder and rotator cuff strains throughout 2019, delaying his big league promotion to September after he was at one point considered a strong candidate to make the starting rotation coming out of Spring Training. It’s those areas where the injuries occurred that Luzardo has been targeting during his offseason strength and conditioning training at Cressey Sports Performance in Jupiter, Florida as he enters the 2020 campaign.

“I’ve been doing the basic conditioning and lifting, some upper- and lower-body days,” Luzardo said. “Definitely focusing on my shoulder and rotator cuff, getting all that 100 percent. My body feels great right now, and, hopefully, that continues. I think the strength training, as well as focusing on shoulder stuff and fine-tuning some mechanical stuff, will be a big help in the long run.”

The A’s likely will keep a close eye on Luzardo’s workload early in the season, though they have not revealed a specific innings limit for him. Whatever it may be, Luzardo should still get plenty of opportunities to fulfill the early prognostications for him to be in the running for AL Rookie of the Year.

“Sometimes it’s tougher for a pitcher to do that, but we’ve got a whole host of guys that could be Rookies of the Year while others could win MVP,” Melvin said. “I don’t think it’s out of the question.”

Luzardo’s goals for the upcoming season are more team-oriented, like helping the A’s reach the postseason for a third consecutive year, but that doesn’t mean he’s not trying to make a statement in his first full season in the big leagues. Luzardo also has his own personal goals, and they’re pretty lofty. (M Gallegos - MLB.com - Jan 25, 2020)

2020 Roommates: For the past several years, it seems the names Jesus Luzardo and A.J. Puk appear in the same sentence more often than not.

The two lefthanded A's pitchers were prospects at the same time. Injured around the same point in the season. And even made their major league debuts a few weeks apart.

But despite all that common ground, Luzardo and Puk definitely are not the same person.

“We’re super different, and we’re super alike in the same way,” Luzardo told NBC Sports California.

For full effect, they completely agree.

“There’s definitely a similarity and difference between us personality-wise,” Puk said.

“We hang out, we go eat probably every day. We’re super tight in that sense,” Luzardo shared. “But he comes from Cedar Rapids, I come from South Florida. I speak Spanish, he can’t even say hello in Spanish. He’s got long hair, and is 6-foot-9 and I’m 6-foot.“

With that established, they’re also not helping the trend of being commonly grouped together. Because they’ve actually lived together each of the past two spring trainings. And plan to live together to start the 2020 season in Oakland. (Brodie Brazil - Feb. 29, 2020)

May 9, 2020: Jesús on his mother, Monica, on Mothers Day:

From driving him all across South Florida for travel ball as a kid to helping him through a grueling Tommy John rehab process as an 18-year-old, Luzardo is grateful to have had his mother, Monica, by his side throughout baseball and life.

“I just remember all the times she would take me to baseball practice and then take my sister to her swimming practice,” Luzardo said. “She would go back and forth daily, so we were a lot to handle. I’m thankful for my mom always being there for me and doing whatever it took for us.”

Now rated Oakland's No. 1 prospect with expectations as the club’s next ace, Luzardo never hesitates to thank both of his parents for their role in helping him get to this point in his career.  –Martin Gallegos

PETIT WAS A MENTOR

There isn’t a day that goes by when Jesús doesn’t find himself looking to soak in some knowledge from Yusmeiro Petit.

From the time of his call-up to the Major Leagues in September 2019, Luzardo had his locker in the clubhouse situated just a few stalls away from Petit. In Luzardo’s mind, Petit was a blueprint for the 22-year-old rookie on how to go about his business in order to achieve the type of longevity carved out by Petit, who was in his 13th Major League season.

The relationship between the two pitchers grew even stronger in February 2020 during Spring Training. Anywhere Petit was on the field or in the weight room, Luzardo was never too far away, coming up to him with questions or bouncing ideas off him.

“He’s kind of like a second dad for me,” Luzardo said. “He tells me what I should and shouldn’t do sometimes, and it’s all out of love. It’s cool.” 

Petit quickly embraced Luzardo’s hunger for knowledge. “He’s a very intelligent kid. He’s someone who pays attention to the little details,” Petit said. “He’s not just doing his job, he’s looking for the details that can stabilize him. He’s asked a lot of key questions about the game and how it all functions. That’s what impresses me the most about him.”

Luzardo’s eagerness evoked memories for Petit of a younger version of himself. Petit recalled being a 22-year-old on the D-backs in 2007, when veteran right-hander Livan Hernandez took him under his wing. At the time, Hernandez had been in the Majors for 12 years and was in the middle of reinventing himself after losing significant velocity on his fastball.

The focus of those sermons by Hernandez was how to make up for lost velocity with supreme command of pitches. It worked for Hernandez, as he finished his career with 17 Major League seasons under his belt.

“He saw that I was focused and gave me a lot of tips on those little details of the game,” Petit said of Hernandez. “He was losing his velocity and no longer throwing 96-97 mph as he did as a youngster in 1997 on the Marlins' World Series team. He explained to me that I needed to take in these tips, because that’s what will keep me in the game. And he was right. You can’t control your velocity, but you can control your command and [where] to place your pitches in spots where hitters fail more times than not.”  (Gallegos - mlb.com - 7/31/2020)

The similarities between Luzardo and Petit may not be evident on the surface. After all, Luzardo is a rookie who can light up the radar gun with the best of them, topping out around triple digits. Petit is a right-handed veteran who has never been known as a hard thrower. But in terms of the type of pitcher Luzardo aims to become, he sees Petit as the perfect model. 

Luzardo doesn’t want to be that flame-throwing hotshot pitcher who can’t locate. That’s why he was more pleased with only walking three batters than he was about striking out 16 over 12 innings in his time with the A’s in September 2019.  Luzardo takes pride in limiting the walks, and he is always working to better command all five of his pitches—a skill that will become even more important as he’s expected to move into the A’s starting rotation and make his first Major League start next week after two relief appearances to start the season.

Who better to learn from than Petit? The 35-year-old issued just 10 walks in 83 innings in 2019, leading all American League relievers with 1.08 walks per nine innings.

“The way he pitches and sets up hitters, the way he’s smart about pitching—at the same time using his command without all the velo—that’s something that I admire and take away from him,” Luzardo said. “I try to command all my pitches, because if I can command with more velocity, that’s going to help me out.”

It took Petit a practical banishment from the Major Leagues after the 2010 season before he figured out how to find success. No teams came calling with a contract. and he played a season in Mexico in 2011. But with that came a wealth of learning experiences that can be passed down to others.

Petit refuses to label himself a mentor. He’s more of a guidance counselor, seeking to help younger pitchers find a path to success quicker than he did.  “I like to help pitchers,” Petit said. “If someone asks me something about their command, I feel I have enough knowledge to give advice to guys. If they consider me a mentor for that, then I feel proud. I just want to help them so their road they have to take in this game is less difficult than mine. I had a hard path because I didn’t have a lot of help.”

There is something a little more special about Petit’s connection to Luzardo, though. With Luzardo’s parents hailing from Petit’s hometown of Maracaibo, Venezuela, a city Luzardo often visited as a kid, Petit feels a sense of pride when it comes to helping out the young lefty.

“He comes from the same city as me. I’m proud of the work he’s doing,” Petit said. “I’m behind him 100 percent and give him pointers. I’ll try to keep him on the right path.”  (Gallegos - mlb.com - 7/31/2020)

July 28, 2021: Ng said it has not been decided whether Luzardo will join the rotation immediately, but a decision will come in the next several days.

"He's got a great arm," Ng said. "He's 23 years old, he's got a great arm, he's got very good secondary stuff between the slider and the changeup. We just felt he was a great fit. We value pitching quite a bit, and we just feel like he fits right into our group."

The 23-year-old Luzardo is a former top prospect with a 4.79 ERA in 31 Major League games (15 starts) from 2019-2021. A high-upside arm under club control through 2025, he last pitched for Triple-A Las Vegas. After 6 starts to open the season (5.79 ERA), Luzardo went on the injured list with a hairline fracture in his left pinkie. Upon his activation, he made 7 relief appearances, giving up 11 runs (six homers) in 10 innings, then was optioned to the Minors. (CD Nicola - MLB.com - July 28, 2021)

Aug 2, 2021: Jesús is no stranger to pressure. He has 32 Major League appearances on his resume. He has another three in the postseason. But never had he felt more jittery than on a Monday night at loanDepot park.

A local kid who grew up in Parkland, Florida, Luzardo picked up the win in his debut for the hometown Marlins, who beat the Mets, 6-3, to snap a four-game skid. Acquired from the A's for Starling Marte, Luzardo allowed three runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts across five innings.

“Being in front of a lot of family and friends, growing up watching this team, rooting for this team, just meant a lot,” said Luzardo, who had the 954 area code stitched on his glove. “I know it meant a lot to my parents, meant a lot to me. I'm glad to be home.” 

The 23-year-old Luzardo started strong, working a perfect first on 17 pitches (11 strikes) and maxing out at 97.9 mph. But he began to struggle with his command in a two-run, 29-pitch second. Handed a four-run cushion thanks to Lewis Brinson's grand slam, he walked a pair of batters, including the pitcher, threw a run-scoring wild pitch and permitted two hits.

Luzardo settled down over his final three frames by retiring eight of his final 11 batters following a leadoff homer by Pete Alonso in the third.

“He went to my rival high school, so I'll let that slide,” said Brinson, who also hit a grand slam during a game his senior season at Coral Springs High School that Luzardo saw. “I wanted to get this win for him. I wanted him to have a good outing, and obviously get the ‘W.’ I know it's big being back home. You want him to feel comfortable, and you've got your whole family and friends here, so I know everybody was here cheering for him.”

Luzardo's batterymate, Alex Jackson, was also making his club debut. The Marlins acquired him in the Adam Duvall trade with the Braves. He went hitless in four at-bats. Jackson and Luzardo met, but the rapport was immediate. He helped Luzardo utilize his four-pitch mix, in particular a changeup more often.

That is a trend to monitor moving forward, since the changeup is a trademark pitch for the Marlins’ rotation. Sandy Alcantara and Trevor Rogers ranked second and seventh, respectively, in run value for changeups among MLB pitchers. Luzardo noted that it was a pitch he had been getting away from at times in 2020 and at the beginning of 2021.  

“His confidence, his composure on the mound, his stuff is absolutely electric, as everyone knows,” Jackson said. “He was able to control his emotions. He was able to put his game face on, and even when things did get a little bit erratic, he came in the dugout and we had a conversation, and he was like, 'Hey, I'm good, I'm good to go, let's get back after it.' And that shows you how he is as a pitcher and how he is as a person, and the confidence allows me to sit back there and know that he has a plan. And he has an idea on how he wants to attack and allows me to help him execute what he's trying to do.”

Luzardo entered the series opener 5-6 with a 4.79 ERA and two saves in 31 games (15 starts) in the Majors from 2019-2021. The southpaw missed a month after sustaining a hairline fracture in his left pinkie by hitting his hand on a table while playing video games. Upon his return, the A’s used him out of the bullpen. After posting a 9.90 ERA, he received a demotion to the Minors, where he was when Miami dealt for him. (CD Nicola - MLB.com - Aug 2, 2021)

Jesus committed to play for Venezuela in the 2023 WBC.

 2023 Spring Training: The nature of the business works in mysterious ways.

A.J. Puk was all set up for Spring Training in Arizona when the Marlins acquired him from the A's for JJ Bleday on Saturday. Puk packed up his things, arrived in South Florida on Tuesday afternoon and took his physical on Wednesday morning to join his new club.As fate would have it, Puk has reunited with one of his best friends in baseball: Jesús Luzardo. Once expected to be a formidable left-handed duo in Oakland's rotation, the former top prospects found themselves wearing Marlins gear and playing catch on a back field at the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex.

 The pair became close in 2019, when Puk was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Luzardo, whom the Nationals had dealt to the A's in '17, had dinged up his shoulder and needed to remain behind after camp ended. Puk had an extra bedroom at his place and asked Luzardo if he wanted to move in. They wound up spending the entire year rehabbing together, then made their Major League debuts less than a month apart in '19."It was great," Puk said. "We became pretty good buddies throughout the years from that, and even when he was traded [in 2021], we were still ... in communication quite a bit. I'd come visit him in Florida when I was staying out in Arizona for the offseason. It's been a good relationship. Real happy to be here and just be back in Florida."

"It’s extremely exciting,” added Luzardo. “I found out, and then he called me right away. It’s exciting. We lived together when I was over in Oakland for parts of three seasons, and then two offseasons together. That’s one of my very close friends, best friends. I’m excited to have him. Great piece of the team and a great addition to the clubhouse. Great guy. Great clubhouse guy.”  "It was definitely big for me personally," Puk said of 2022. "I know there was, like, some question marks, just kind of had some tough luck. I always knew I could go a full year, and [there was] just kind of a little rough patch to start my career. Now I'm feeling really good, really healthy right now, just excited where my body's at. Excited for another year."

Added Luzardo: "He’s found his stride. He’s comfortable in the role that he’s at. Obviously, the stuff’s electric and he works really hard. There’s no ceiling for him."  (Christina De Nicola - Feb. 15, 2023)

TRANSACTIONS

June 2016: The Nationals chose Luzardo in the third round, out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. He signed for $1.4 million with scout Alex Morales, turning down a scholarship to the University of Miami.

July 16, 2017: The Athletics traded RHP Ryan Madson and LHP Sean Doolittle to the Nationals; acquiring RHP Blake Treinen, LHP Jesus Luzardo, and 3B Sheldon Neuse.

July 28, 2021: The Marlins traded CF Starling Marte to the Athletics for LHP Jesus Luzardo.

Luzardo has late hop on a 91-98 mph FASTBALL that he can spot on either side of the plate and that has natural sink and grades 60. Jesus gets good depth on his 1-to-7 CURVEBALL that's a swing-and-miss 55 grade pitch with its late break. And he can alter the shape of his curve as needed.

He has excellent feel for an 83-85 mph CHANGEUP with deceptive late fade down and to his arm-side; it is a 65 or 70 grade. The pitch fades and dives dramatically to his arm side, away from the barrel of righthanded hitters.

There’s no question Luzardo has the stuff to get big league hitters out right now. He’s got more than enough velocity, touching the upper 90's. He commands the pitch to both sides of the plate well and misses bats with it, while the sink on his two-seamer leads to a lot of groundball outs.

He has one of the best changeups of any pitching prospect in baseball, thrown with a ton of fade and sink. There’s some debate over his breaking stuff, with some seeing a distinct curve and cutter-like slider and others seeing one power slurve type of hybrid pitch he can add and subtract from. Either way, he’s got more than enough breaking stuff to get outs.

Luzardo’s combination of outstanding stuff and plus control, not to mention his calm demeanor and competitiveness on the mound, help make him one of the best pitching prospects in the game. Some see a little Johan Santana in him and he’s ready to start fulfilling his potential as a frontline starter right now. 

A's pitching coordinator Gil Patterson raves about Luzardo’s changeup. “He has great hand speed and some bottom, but with his delivery, it has a quick tempo to it,” he said.

As for Luzardo’s curve, Patterson said “He can change shapes (and velocity) with it. That is pretty special. His fastball just jumps . . . ”

He has 60 grade Control. (Emily Waldon - BA Prospect Handbook - Spring 2020)

2019 Season Pitch Usage: 4-seam Fastball 23.5% of the time, his Sinker 24%; Change 19.4%; and Slider 33.2% of the time. Average velocity: 4-seam 97.2 mph, Sinker 96.1, Change 86.9, and Slider 83 mph.

2020 Season Pitch Usage: 4-seam Fastball 26.4% of the time; his Sinker 26.8%; Change  23.9%; Slider 19.4%; and Curve 3.5% of the time. Average velocity: 4-seam 96.2 mph, Sinker 95.8, Change 87.8, Slider 84.6, and Curve 84.9 mph.

Jesus has a loose, quick arm and comes at hitters from a high three-quarters arm slot. He has a, simple balanced delivery, stays over the rubber and hides the ball from the hitter effectively.

He has pitch-ablity, understanding much of the craft.

Luzardo dominates hitters with an arsenal that includes three plus or better pitches at times. That includes a mid-90s fastball, a plus-plus changeup and a curveball that flashes plus. He commands all three of his weapons, which makes him all the more precocious.

Luzardo lives at the bottom of the strike zone.

Luzardo has the profile of a #3 starter in a big league rotation.

2018 Season: Jesus led the Double-A Texas League with a 2.29 ERA during his time there and finished the season in Triple-A. Luzardo’s season highlights included a 28-inning scoreless streak at Double-A, and he was so efficient he pitched at least five innings in 17 of his 23 starts despite being on a strict pitch count.

Overall, Luzardo posted a 2.88 ERA across the three levels despite being significantly younger than his competition at each stop.

“He really learned to use his change-up more often, and that’s become a big pitch for him,” A's farm director Keith Lieppman said in 201. “This kid has enough savvy; and his makeup is so good that he was able to handle the pressure of a lot of press and notoriety. That will serve him well as he moves ahead.”

Luzardo hits 97 mph with his four-seam fastball and usually pitches at 94-95. He has also shown a good curveball to go with an outstanding changeup, and he has started experimenting with a cut fastball to add to his repertoire. Luzardo was also christened MLB Pipeline Pitching Prospect of the Year.

Fastball: Back to full strength, Luzardo is once again firing fastballs that touch the upper-90s. As a starter, it will sit in the mid-90s, and it’s easy to envision a tick or two more in shorter stints out of the bullpen. He can command it extremely well to both sides of the plate while throwing it with sink, which allowed him to post a 2.17 groundout-to-air-out ratio in 2019 (1.29 for his career) and a 10.8 career strikeout per nine ratio.

Curveball: Luzardo has worked hard to improve his breaking ball, and it’s at least above average at this point. It plays up because he will add and subtract to at will and can throw it for strikes at any point in the count.

Changeup: His best secondary offering, his changeup, is one of the best off-speed pitches in the Minors. He throws it with a ton of fade and sink, giving him another pitch that both misses bats and gets weak contact on the ground.

Control: It’s not just that Luzardo throws strikes, though he does fill up the zone so consistently (2.0 walks per nine in his career). His ability to command the baseball to all quadrants is a big reason why he has a long future as a big league starter ahead of him. He can throw any of his three pitches at any point in the count for strikes. (Mayo - mlb.com - 9/9/19)

2019 Season:  Had things gone according to plan, Luzardo would have joined the A’s rotation near the start of the season. But a shoulder strain kept that from happening, though he did get back on the mound in June and pitched his way up to Oakland for a half-dozen relief appearances. He’s a front-line starter long-term, though, and should be in the 2020 rotation from Opening Day.

His best pitch was his changeup. It’s not just the best changeup among lefties. It’s the best changeup among all pitching prospects, period, getting some votes as the best secondary pitch among pitching prospects from executives. It has fade and sink and he commands it to both sides of the plate, getting swings and misses as well as a ton of ground-ball outs.

Jan 27, 2020: Best changeup: Jesus Luzardo, LHP, Athletics (65 Grade). Another Oakland southpaw who has bounced back from elbow reconstruction, Luzardo has full trust in a mid-80s changeup that fades and sinks and plays perfectly off his well above-average fastball. In his first taste of the Majors, his changeup helped him hold right-handers to a 5-for-35 (.143) line with 13 strikeouts, including a dominant three-inning stint in the AL Wild Card Game.

Aug 4, 2020: The anticipation for Jesús Luzardo’s move to the starting rotation only grew with each impressive outing he turned in for the A’s out of the bullpen since September 2019. That moment finally came, and the lefthander lived up to the hype.

Luzardo was electric in his first Major League start, holding the Rangers scoreless over five innings of two-hit ball at the Coliseum. He kept the A’s in the game for an eventual 5-1 win on Stephen Piscotty’s walk-off grand slam. The A’s No. 1 prospect struck out five batters and walked two.

“He was terrific,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “He comes as advertised. Great velocity and great movement. Terrific athlete. Really good start for him for his first time out.”

Touted by scouts for his fearlessness on the mound, Luzardo came out attacking hitters from the start. He made his presence felt in the opening frame with a pair of strikeouts, rearing back to blow a 97 mph fastball by Joey Gallo to end the inning. Any nerves Luzardo might have had certainly were untraceable after that dominant first-inning performance, which is impressive for a 22-year-old lefty who became the youngest pitcher to start a game for the A’s since Brett Anderson (22 years, 243 days) in 2010.

“You’d never know it was the day he was pitching,” Melvin said. “If there were nerves, he didn’t show it. A lot of times the nerves will show up in the first inning, and it was anything but. He was throwing bullets. He’s special in that he has a lot of confidence at a young age.”

Possessing an impressive mix of five plus-pitches in his repertoire, Luzardo showed off four of them: fastball, changeup, sinker and slider. He appeared to favor the changeup against Texas, throwing it 18 times and generating five whiffs. Of his 76 pitches, Luzardo registered 34 swinging strikes and 10 whiffs. Four of his five strikeouts were of the swinging variety.

Even Texas manager Chris Woodward tipped his cap to Luzardo for the dominant performance.

“Luzardo is pretty good. He has three plus-pitches. He executed pretty well early,” Woodward said. “I was hoping we would put more pressure on him early, attack him early. He did a good job of offsetting that by throwing some changeups early in hitters' counts.” (M Gallegos - MLB.com - Aug 4, 2020)

Spring 2020: Anyone who saw Luzardo in Oakland in 2019 and in the Wild Card Game knows his stuff is more than good enough to get big league hitters out right now. He served noticed he’s ready for the task by allowing just one run on four hits over 8.1 innings (1.08 ERA) while striking out 13 vs. just one walk during the first 2020 Spring Training.

2020 Season: Luzardo showed flashes of being that pitcher last season, Luzardo was generally inconsistent. His overall numbers, a 4.12 ERA and a 1.271 WHIP with 59 strikeouts and 17 walks over 59 innings, displayed both his potential and his inconsistencies. He would seemingly follow every strong outing with a difficult one, a part of the growing pains of a rookie pitcher.

 That performance certainly has not diminished his potential. Luzardo is still viewed upon as a future top of the rotation arm, although that time may take a little longer than expected to come about.

This does not mean that his future will be delayed for an extended period of time. Luzardo’s stuff showed how dominant he can be when everything comes together for him. His 95.4 MPH average fastball velocity was the best of any lefthanded starter in the game. And he can seemingly dial up the intensity at any point in time.

His secondary pitches also have the potential to be devastating. His curve and change both had a swinging strike rate of 45%, an impressive rate for such a young pitcher. As he learns the league better, and continues to develop, he could become even more dominant.

That will happen with time. Luzardo is still just 23 years old, and had his rookie campaign occur in one of the most bizarre seasons in MLB history. It was difficult for every player to find their footing last season, let alone a rookie that had such high hopes riding upon him. However, that performance last season bodes well for the future.

For a rookie campaign, Jesús Luzardo’s 2020 can be viewed as mostly a positive.

Starting out the year pitching out of the bullpen after a late arrival to Summer Camp limited his workload, the lefthander finished 3-2 with a 4.12 ERA in 12 regular-season games (nine starts). He ranked second among Major League rookies with 59 strikeouts over 59 innings. Satisfactory numbers, but not good enough for Luzardo.

There’s a reason why the A’s never shied away from the lofty expectations that were placed on Luzardo at such a young age. The 23-year-old lefty embraces the pressures of being called the next great ace to anchor a starting rotation in Oakland, which only seem to be heightened this Spring Training as he enters a strong candidate to start for the A’s on Opening Day. “We have probably thrown more at him at an early age than anybody since I’ve been here,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “The reason is that he’s a really talented guy. My expectation of Jesús is to be a top of the rotation starter, and that probably starts this year. Last year, I think he hit some speed bumps that were new to him, and he’s going to be better for that this year.

“I think he takes an added step forward this year. I believe he’ll be an All-Star here at some point.” (M Gallegos - MLB.com - Feb 21, 2021)

2021 Improvements: Jesús unveiled a new pitch that is sure to strike fear, and hunger, into opposing hitters this season.

During the third inning of the A's 6-0 win over the Rangers at Surprise Stadium, Luzardo broke out a funky 65-mph looping breaking ball on an 0-1 count that froze Leody Taveras at the plate as it landed at the bottom of the zone for a strike. Following his outing, the 23-year-old lefty revealed the name of his delicious-looking pitch: The Turkey Sub.

The name of the pitch was inspired by A’s right-handed prospect Brian Howard, who was Luzardo's teammate at Double-A Midland in 2018. Luzardo has never thrown the pitch in a Major League game, but after working to incorporate it into his repertoire more this spring, it now looks to be quite the complement to his fastball, which sat around 94-96 mph as he held the Rangers hitless and issued just two walks in four scoreless innings. 

“I threw three different types of breaking balls, including the turkey sub, which I was happy about,” Luzardo said. “I was kind of tentative to throw it my first year in the big leagues. I didn’t know how it would work. This year, I found some confidence in it and I’m going to start throwing it more. I’m glad to have it back.” (Martín Gallegos - March 11, 2021)

Sept 10, 2021: Jesús tied a career high with eight strikeouts in the Marlins win over the Mets, and the key was a much-improved breaking ball.

Statcast identifies it as a curveball. PITCHf/x considers it a slider. Call it what you want, but it was Luzardo’s ace in the hole in one of his best starts to date and perhaps the key to the 23-year-old fulfilling his potential.

Luzardo earned six of his eight punchouts on the pitch, and all came swinging. He buried it in the dirt, brought it inside, and even painted it on the corner of the zone. He once again threw it more than any other pitch in his arsenal—33 of 97 pitches.

“It's a pitch that's come a long way,” Luzardo said. “I think I had it early in my career, a couple years back, but I kind of lost it at times last year and this year, and we've just been working on it a lot—talking to catcher Sandy León and picking his brain a little bit and talking to other guys and then working with them on it. I think it's come a long way, and, hopefully, it keeps progressing.”

“We had a pretty good idea that the kid had good stuff,” manager Don Mattingly said. “The changeup was a good pitch, and the curveball or the slider—whatever you want to call it—can be a good pitch for him. It was a matter of getting him consistent with everything that he does and being able to get the ball in the strike zone when he needed to and to be able to be use his off-speed in counts, sometimes behind or even pitching backwards at time with certain guys.” (B Weinrib - MLB.com - Sept 10, 2021)

2021 Season: After splitting time as a starter and reliever with the Athletics for the early part of the season, Luzardo made his Marlins debut on August 2 as a starter allowing three runs across five innings.

But the lefthander would go on to struggle across his next four outings, allowing a combined 21 runs across 17.1 innings, a stretch in which Luzardo walked 14 batters compared to only 15 strikeouts. Luzardo would however finish the month of August with arguably his best start of the season going six scoreless innings where he allowed only one hit with eight strikeouts.

Luzardo would go-on to struggle at times across the final month of the season, but would post two back-to-back strong starts to finish the year, which included a season-high 11 strikeouts in his final outing on October 2.

In all, the 24-year-old made a total of 12 starts with the Marlins in 2021 where he posted a combined 4-5 record with a 6.44 ERA across 57.1 innings pitched. Posting a 1.60 WHIP, Luzardo did strike out a total of 58 batters, but also struggled with command by walking a total of 32 batters, which resulted in a 12.1 BB%.

A player who has split time as a starter and reliever before joining the Miami Marlins, Luzardo was used more as a full-time starter with Miami in 2021. Having experience in both roles, the southpaw will likely begin the 2022 season in the big leagues, but a role in either the rotation or bullpen remains to be seen.  (Matt Melton - Dec. 12, 2021)

As of the start of the 2021, Jesus had a career record of:  3-2 with a 3.68 ERA, having allowed 10 home runs and 63 hits in 71 innings. (Jan. 1, 2020)

2021 Improvements: On his mission to lock up a 2022 Marlins rotation spot—and hold it throughout the season—Luzardo says his focus is on “mastering” the pitch arsenal he already has. In opposition to Statcast’s “curveball” classification, he refers to his signature breaking ball as a slider. He mentions that he “got a feel for it” as the season was winding down after previously dealing with some inconsistency. Nearly half of the K’s during Luzardo’s MLB career (85 of 173) have come via the slider.  (Ely Sussman@RealEly  Dec 30, 2021)

April 12, 2022:  This is the Jesús Luzardo the Marlins were hoping for. Acquired from Oakland last July, the left-hander from South Florida struggled to fulfill the promise that made him an elite prospect -- leading to questions about what he could provide to a Miami rotation stocked with young arms. For now, questions answered.

The 24-year-old built on the improvements shown at the end of last year and during Spring Training, beginning his 2022 with a career-high 12 strikeouts in five innings against the Angels.

Luzardo’s brilliance tied two franchise strikeout records. His dozen K’s tied Ricky Nolasco (Sept. 30, 2009) and A.J. Burnett (July 6, 2005) for the most in an outing of five innings or fewer. He also tied for the most strikeouts by a Marlins lefty -- joining Dontrelle Willis (who did it twice) and Wei-Yin Chen (May 11, 2016).

“Being paired with Dontrelle Willis, he was a guy I grew up watching,” Luzardo said. “It’s an honor for me.” (B Wright - MLB.com - April 13, 2022)

April 12: Commences regular season with 12-strikeout effort against the Angels.

April 24: Effectively wild, 5-inning, 8-punchout outing to earn his 1st win of the season against Atlanta.

May 15: Placed on 15-day IL with a left forearm strain.

June 15: Transferred to 60-day IL.

July 16: Begins minor league rehab assignment.

August 1: Activated from IL following 3rd rehab start; earns loss whilst allowing 2 runs over 5 innings against Cincinnati.

October 4: Concludes campaign with 6 scoreless innings against the eventual division champion Braves, earning his 4th win thanks to career-high-tying 12 strikeouts.

The version of Jesús Luzardo acquired by the Marlins in 2021 in the deal that sent Starling Marte to Oakland was the baseball equivalent to a chicken without its head attached. In 12 starts after the trade, the Parkland native posted a 6.44 ERA and gaudy-for-all-the-wrong-reasons 1.60 WHIP.

Fortunately, after years of being proclaimed among the best pitching prospects in the sport, the left-hander burst onto the scene in 2022. While he may have only contributed a mere 100 1⁄3 innings with a pedestrian 4-7 win-loss record, a look underneath the hood tells us the quality of pitcher Luzardo managed to be.

 Posting a 3.32 ERA (123 ERA+), Luzardo saw a precipitous drop in HR/9 (1.8 to 0.9) and H/9 (10.0 to 6.2), as well as a gradual drop in BB/9 (4.5 to 3.1). That translates to a 3.12 FIP, fully validating his run prevention results and then some. Luzardo’s proficiency in limiting hits placed him in a tie for 6th with the White Sox’s Dylan Cease—a presumed Cy Young favorite in the American League—in said category.  (Louis Addeo-Weiss  Nov 5, 2022)

Luzardo, the Marlins’ talented 23-year-old lefty, looked like an emerging star while stymieing the Mets over 5 ⅔ innings in New York’s 2-1 loss.

“Electric,” Mets LF, Mark Canha said. “The ball was jumping out of his hand. He locates pretty well, too. It was not an easy task tonight.” (Sammon - Apr 1, 2023 - The Athletic)

March 3, 2016: Luzardo injured his ulnar collateral ligament. His fastball had already reached 97 mph with his fastball a couple of weeks before the diagnosis following an MRI.

On March 22, 2016: Dr. James Andrews performed a very successful Tommy John surgery, and a speedy recovery was expected.

“While I am disappointed that I suffered this injury, I believe God has a plan for me,” Luzardo said in a statement. “Now that surgery is over with, I am focused on the rehab program and following the exact plan that Dr. Andrews has laid out for me so I can get back on the mound better than ever and continue to chase my dream of becoming a top MLB pitcher in the future.”

March 20-June 20, 2019:  Jesus has been shut down with a muscle strain in his left shoulder.

July 3-Aug. 15, 2019: The A's announced that MRI results revealed a Grade 2 lat strain for Jesus.   

May 2-30, 2021: The Athletics put Luzardo on the injured list with a hairline fracture in his finger, an injury he suffered while playing a video game.