2023 Marlins Season Review: Jesús Luzardo

Relive all of the ups and downs of the 2023 Miami Marlins with our Fish On First Season Review, containing detailed articles about a wide variety of players. The FOF staff analyzes the individual impact that each of them had and what it means for their future with the organization.

This installment focuses on starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo.

2023 Timeline

• March 15—pitched for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic
• October 3—started Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series

Season Stats: 178.2 IP, 3.63 ERA, 3.55 FIP, 10.48 K/9, 2.77 BB/9 (age-25 season)

Jesús Luzardo made a great impression on the Marlins in 2022, but he had to miss several months during the season due to injury. This year, he was on a mission to prove he could perform at that level while being available to his team from start to finish.

After performing well in the World Baseball Classic and spring training, Luzardo got off to a great start, shutting out the Mets and striking out 10 Minnesota Twins.

Luzardo was the most impactful pitcher on the Marlins in the first half, posting a 3.29 ERA through 109 ⅓ innings pitched. Although his second half wasn't as consistent, the lefty had his best start of the season when the Marlins desperately needed it against the Colorado Rockies shortly after the All-Star break. He struck out 13 in seven innings of one-run ball to snap an eight-game losing streak.

Luzardo picked up his 10th and final win of the season against the hot Atlanta Braves when he punched out eight in six shutout innings.

In Luzardo's final regular season start against the New York Mets, he set a Marlins single-season record for most strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher. He finished with 208 K's, surpassing Al Leiter (200 K's in 1996).

In terms of pitch mix, Luzardo's only significant change was moving away from his sinker and increasing his four-seam fastball usage to 46.0%. The slider (28.9%) was his main secondary pitch, followed by the changeup (21.0%).

Luzardo rated well defensively in 2023. That included controlling the running game by allowing only 11 stolen bases in 32 starts despite being paired with a catcher (Nick Fortes) who doesn't have a strong throwing arm. He was named a finalist for the NL Gold Glove, though the award went to Zack Wheeler.

With Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez both injured, Luzardo got the assignment to start Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Luzardo had his positive moments, striking out postseason icon Bryce Harper once and leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber twice. Ultimately, his final line was nothing special (4.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 90 pitches/54 strikes) and the Marlins lost.

Combining the regular season and postseason, Luzardo totaled 182 ⅔ innings pitched, shattering his previous career high in terms of workload. There were periods where he clearly dealt with fatigue. Fortunately, he was able to battle through it to make all of his scheduled starts.

Future with Marlins

If it hasn't been made clear by now, Jesús Luzardo is here to stay and be a staple of the Marlins rotation for years to come. Luzardo is the favorite to be the Marlins' 2024 Opening Day starter with Sandy Alcantara out for the year.

This offseason is the Marlins' best opportunity to extend Luzardo before his value gets to the point where they would be unable to afford his contract. He's currently under club control through 2026 via arbitration.

Now that Luzardo has been able to go through a full season at the big league level, the next step for him is pitching even deeper into his starts. With the right adjustments, he has the potential to be an All-Star next year.

Photo by Danis Sosa/Fish On First