After missing the initial All-Star roster, Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo was selected as a replacement for the All-Star Game in Philadelphia next week. It's Luzardo's first career All-Star appearance, and one that the Phillies hope becomes a regular occurrence after they handed out a contract extension in the spring. Luzardo has been solid for Philadelphia, and his crowning achievement proves that the Phillies paid Luzardo at the perfect time after all.
There was a legitimate question among Phillies fans about what Luzardo may cost them to keep and when the best time to pay him would really be. Luzardo finished 2025 with a 3.92 ERA, a career-high 183 2/3 innings, and a seventh-place NL Cy Young finish. He made himself a real case as an extension candidate and forced the Phillies' hand. The Phillies wanted to keep him in the rotation and promptly rewarded him with a five-year, $135 million extension in March.
Phillies' Luzardo has played up to the expectations of his new deal already
The Phillies front office nailed the timing of this extension for a rotation that needed long-term sustainability after the eventual departure of veteran ace Zack Wheeler. They decided to pay Luzardo a respectable $27 million a year through 2032, avoiding an inflated free agency price altogether. The Phillies believed in him and made a substantial investment and were immediately rewarded with an All-Star season.
Luzardo has hit the ground running since fetching his new deal in 2026. In 18 starts, he's pitched to a 7-4 record, a 3.75 ERA, and 125 strikeouts in 103 1/3 innings pitched. He's also retained his swing-and-miss stuff from last season, as he is currently striking out batters at a 28.6 percent rate, seventh-best among starters. He also holds the sixth-best whiff rate overall among starters at 32 percent. His nastiest pitch is the sweeper, for which he has a league-best whiff rate of 49.8 percent, per StatCast.
Luzardo has had his rough spots in his outings, but overall has helped mold the winning formula of the Phillies starting rotation. Nicknamed “Zeus,” Luzardo has easily become a fan favorite and a starter that Phillies fans get excited to watch every fifth day. Phillies fans will also look forward to greeting Luzardo in front of his home crowd on Tuesday. He's become a horse to rely on and an arm that the club expects to count on in the second half of the season, heading into the postseason.
Add us as a preferred source on Google