Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesus Luzardo earned his way into the starting rotation in the 2025 postseason after his fifteenth win and an incredible outing against the Marlins on Wednesday, joining Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez.
The season started perfectly for Luzardo, with a 2.15 ERA and 77 strikeouts over 67 innings in his first 11 starts. In his next 10 starts from May 31 to July 23, he struggled with an 8.04 ERA in 47 innings.
Luzardo stayed in the rotation and rebounded strongly with a 2.84 ERA and 80 strikeouts over 69.2 innings, including three games with 10 or more strikeouts.
Overall, Luzardo finished the 2025 regular season with a career high 216 strikeouts with a 15-7 record, 3.92 ERA, and 1.22 WHIP.
In his last start on September 24, he struck out 10 over seven innings and helped the Phillies secure a first round bye in the playoffs.
On September 11 against the Mets, he pitched eight innings and had ten strikeouts on only 97 pitches.
In Luzardo's last five outings, he went 3-1 with a no decision. He compiled a 2.12 ERA with 41 strikeouts and just five walks over 34.2 innings, showcasing his late-season resurgence.
Luzardo joins Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez for a formidable top three in the rotation.
Sanchez finished the season 13-5 with a 2.57 ERA and 204 strikeouts in 196 innings pitched. Suarez finished 12-7 with a 3.12 ERA and 147 strikeouts in 153 innings pitched.
Aaron Nola is the potential game four starter because of his postseason experience with the Phillies. In his 10 post season starts, he is 5-4 with a 4.02 ERA. In the 2023 postseason, he was 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA.
Nola returned to the roster on August 17 after a three-month absence due to a sprained right ankle and a stress fracture in his right rib. Nola has a 4-10 record with a 6.46 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP over 16 starts and 86.1 innings for the entire 2025 season.
Walker Buehler will play a big part in the 2025 World Series pursuit due to his experience and success in the postseason with the Dodgers.
He has a World Series record in three starts with five-plus innings and fewer than five baserunners allowed. On September 25, Buehler started and pitched five scoreless innings.
With a formidable top three in the postseason rotation for the Phillies in Sanchez, Suarez, and Luzardo, the fourth starter and bullpen become the top priority for manager Rob Thomson on the World Series chase.