Jesús Luzardo proved a lot in his first season with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2025. He became a vital part of the rotation and anchored the rotation further after Zack Wheeler's season-ending injury. His sweeper was a major factor in his arsenal and turned him into one of the nastiest pitchers in MLB. This year is another chance for Luzardo to present an even further improved version of himself with a new look to his changeup.
Luzardo had one of the best sweepers in MLB in 2025. He tinkered with it last spring training after being traded from the Miami Marlins during the 2024 offseason. Luzardo, with the help of the pitching coaches, perfected the pitch. It turned in a 43.7 percent whiff rate, the third-best among all qualified sweepers in baseball in 2025.
The changeup, after some additional work this spring, could take Luzardo's repertoire to a whole new level.
Jesús Luzardo's improved changeup could be a massive game-changer for Phillies in 2026
Luzardo is already dazzling in spring training, but more work is needed before the start of the regular season. Luzardo is focused on being the best version of himself yet again. One thing he's honing in on this spring is his changeup (subscription required), per Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“Just kind of trying to fine-tune it, and see if I can maybe get a little more swing-and-miss, or just kind of give guys a different look,” Luzardo said, per March. “... Not that my changeup last year was bad, but it was maybe not elite, and I want to be as elite as possible.”
Luzardo pitched a career-high 183 2/3 innings last season. His 216 strikeouts were also his most in a season and second-most in the National League. According to Statcast, his changeup had a lot to do with his success, with a .224 opposing batting average and a .315 opposing slugging percentage. His 36.2 whiff rate on the changeup ranked ninth among all qualified pitchers, while teammate Cristopher Sánchez ranked third at 45.1 percent.
Giving a different look or adjusting the changeup could get opposing batters further unbalanced and allow Luzardo to attack more aggressively with the four-seam fastball.
According to Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham, it's Luzardo's desire to get better that's fueling this spring training work, per March.
“He’s always trying to find that edge and the stretch to ‘What’s next? What can I do to get a little better?’” Cotham said, per March. “And I think it’s important. That’s why guys like him stay in pace with the league, because the league’s always getting better. Hitters are always getting better.”
Thanks to pitch-tipping issues, Luzardo had some bumps in 2025, which resulted in an inflated 3.92 ERA across 32 starts. One thing Phillies fans would agree on is that when it came down to crunch time, Luzardo answered the bell in dominant fashion. His sweeper was such a great weapon to have, and if his changeup evolves the same way, his 2026 season will be one to remember.