CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Jesús Luzardo understandably has some big goals for 2026 on the heels of his breakout '25 campaign.
Unfortunately, one of those goals is already off the table.
Making his spring debut in Thursday afternoon's 6-2 Grapefruit League win over the Red Sox at BayCare Ballpark, Luzardo found himself dealing with a runner on third and nobody out in the top of the first inning. He struck out Nick Sogard in traditional fashion for the first out. Luzardo then struck out Matt Thaiss, but only after catcher J.T. Realmuto challenged a 1-2 pitch and had it overturned for strike three.
Luzardo went to a full count against the next batter before throwing a 3-2 changeup up in the zone. It was called ball four, but as designated hitter Connor Wong began the walk to first base, Luzardo skipped off the mound toward the third-base dugout frantically tapping the top of his hat to call for a challenge.
"I told [Realmuto] I'd never challenge one all year, and I didn't even last an inning," said Luzardo, who allowed two hits in three scoreless innings with five strikeouts. "I think I've got to tell myself to stop a little bit, but I'm for sure leaving it in his hands. I trust him completely."
Fortunately for Luzardo, Realmuto was tapping his helmet right along with his pitcher. They were both right. The call was overturned for an inning-ending strikeout.
More good news: Luzardo can now shift his focus entirely to some of his bigger goals.
"I've got some personal ones that I like to keep myself, but I always want to be the best," Luzardo said. "So just to be as good as I can every time out and give us a chance to win every five days."
That would have been more than enough for the Phillies at this time a year ago, considering Luzardo came into camp as the lone question mark in an otherwise stacked rotation that featured Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suarez.
But now, the Phillies’ needs are a bit different. Because unlike last year, the uncertainty within the rotation extends well beyond the guy in the No. 5 spot. In fact, questions now loom over every starter outside of Luzardo and Sánchez.
When will Wheeler join the rotation? And will he be himself after thoracic outlet decompression surgery? Will Aaron Nola bounce back from an injury-riddled season in which he posted a 6.01 ERA? How will No. 2 prospect Andrew Painter fare in his first taste of the big leagues? How much will the Phillies miss Suarez?
“I'm in a different position in the sense that last year I was coming in off an injury, and I feel like I was kind of a flier for them,” Luzardo said. “So I wouldn't call it pressure, but I think I put some extra emphasis on being a stable piece in this rotation until Wheels gets back.”
Luzardo put any lingering questions about his own capabilities to rest in his debut season with the Phils last year, when he had a career-best 216 strikeouts and put up a somewhat misleading 3.92 ERA. (Outside of a disastrous two-start blip, Luzardo had a 3.03 ERA in his other 30 outings.)
Luzardo accounted for 3.9 WAR. He was worth 4.7 WAR in 2023 with the Marlins -- his only other fully healthy season as a starter. To put that type of production in perspective, here are the only other pitchers with multiple seasons of at least 3.9 WAR since 2023: Wheeler, Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, Garrett Crochet, Chris Sale and Hunter Greene.
Needless to say, that's some pretty good company.
“It’s all there for him,” manager Rob Thomson said when asked about Luzardo’s ceiling. “He’s dominated people.”
Even with the midseason hiccup, Luzardo finished seventh in NL Cy Young voting last year and is widely considered a legitimate contender this season.
Meanwhile, Sánchez was the NL Cy Young runner-up last year. Wheeler has been a perennial Cy Young contender to this point as a Phillie. Nola has twice finished in the top 5 of NL Cy Young voting and received a share of votes as recently as 2024. Even Painter -- a 22-year-old who checks in as the No. 28 prospect in baseball -- wouldn't surprise anyone in the organization if he wins a Cy Young Award at some point over the next decade.
“We've got a couple of guys in our rotation that are All-Star-caliber, Cy Young-caliber,” Thomson said. “It's just staying healthy and staying consistent.”