Jesús Luzardo DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo tallied 11 strikeouts across five innings of two-run ball en route to earning the victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday. He allowed two hits, two walks, and two runs. Most of his damage came in the second frame when backstop Keibert Ruiz launched a two-run shot. This was an impressive Philadelphia debut for Luzardo as he battled numerous injuries last season. He was only able to log 66 1/3 innings of work and held a high 5.00 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP. He enjoyed a strong campaign in 2023 when he tallied 208 strikeouts across 178 2/3 innings and posted a 3.58 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. Given his impressive debut and high strikeout upside, he is worth adding in shallow formats. However, he does have a tough task ahead of him, facing the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday evening.

Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo (back, elbow), who was acquired from the Miami Marlins this offseason, said he feels 100 percent after missing time with left-elbow tightness and not pitching after June 16 due to a stress reaction in his lower back. 2024 was a tough year for the lefty, but he did have a 3.48 ERA and 328 strikeouts in 279 innings in 2022 and 2023 with Miami. He's optimistic that his back issues are behind him as the 27-year-old southpaw embarks on his first season in Philly. Luzardo had a rough 5.00 ERA and made only 12 starts for the Fish this past season because of his injuries, but if he can stay healthy in 2025, he'll give the Phillies the deepest starting rotation in the sport. However, with only one season with 20 starts in the big leagues, Luzardo remains a pretty big fantasy risk on draft day.

According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Philadelphia Phillies are acquiring starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins in exchange for infield prospect Starlyn Caba and outfield prospect Emaarion Boyd. The southpaw battled numerous back and elbow injuries last season which limited to a mere 66 2/3 innings pitched. Across this small stint, Luzardo held a 5.00 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. However, across a career-high 178 2/3 innings in 2023, the left-hander posted a strong 3.58 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. During that season, he struck out 208 batters at a 28.1% rate and held a solid 7.4% walk rate. Fantasy managers should expect Luzardo to slide into a permanent role in the starting rotation which will move Taijuan Walker to the No.6 spot on the depth chart. Even though Luzardo battled numerous injuries in 2024, he carries strong strikeout upside and should be in line to tally double-digit wins pitching on a competing Phillies roster in 2025. Caba was considered the No.4 prospect and Boyd was considered the No.23 prospect in the Philadelphia system according to MLB Pipeline.