‘Striking Out Barriers’ with Jesús Luzardo

Image Credit: Simon Lindenblatt/Latino Sports

FLUSHING, NY — Consider Jesús Luzardo of the Philadelphia Phillies, the first-ever Peruvian-born player in Major League Baseball, one of a kind. 

“It’s pretty interesting and kinda just worked out that I was born there,” he says of the honor, one Luzardo holds close to his heart. “All of my family is Venezuelan. It’s really cool, unique and definitely a story that I’ll be able to tell my kids and grandkids when I’m older.”

Born in Lima, Peru, Luzardo, of Venezuelan family heritage, relocated to South Florida as a toddler with his mother Monica and father Jesús Luzardo Sr., graduating from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in 2016. 

Less than a decade later, now as a 27-year-old professional left-hander, pitching for three MLB franchises over seven seasons (Oakland Athletics, Miami Marlins and Phillies), while producing on the mound with each strikeout, Luzardo makes an impact off it. 

Thanks to launching an initiative called, ‘Striking Out Barriers’ in partnership with his foundation, The Jesús Luzardo Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization, Luzardo donates $100 for every strikeout he records on the 2025 season to The Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia. 

“The decision to do it was pretty easy for me,” he said of the behind the scenes work to begin the initiative. “I’ve always felt pretty passionate about giving back to the community, especially underserved kids. And I think that we should in any way that we can—kind of help out the kids in our community, and now bring it to Philadelphia.” 

Explaining further how he and his family began the foundation during his time as a Marlin last season, Luzardo stated, “I did it in South Florida a good bit and now being able to help out in the community in Philly is just as important for me and my family.” 

His plans for the near future are to potentially treat a group of kids from The Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia to a Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park as well as host a special pregame meetup, noting: 

“What’s most important for us baseball players, being figures in the sports community, is being able to use our platform in a positive way and get out there and show these kids that it’s possible in all walks of life to make it to this. And if it’s not a professional baseball player, it’s anything that you can do.” 

A mindset all Major Leaguers should stand by as Luzardo continues his first season in Philadelphia. 

And regarding his first year in the City of Brotherly Love, Luzardo quickly brought up the fact of Philadelphia’s fond love, support and riveting passion for their sports teams: 

“They’re definitely intense about their sports, and they really care. It’s always nice to go to each game at home and feel like it’s a sellout. You can feel their intensity and their passion for the game.”

With his competitive drive, Luzardo seems to be enjoying it all, compiling a 12-6 record in 2025 with a 4.10 ERA and 170 strikeouts across 26 outings. 

Not to mention, he’s found his form as of late, totaling 30 strikeouts in the month of August—his four most recent starts, which each included six innings of three earned runs or less. 

Crediting his teammates within the starting rotation, coaches, and catching staff for the recent success, Luzardo said, “I feel like I’ve been filling up the zone with a lot of strikes. Being able to command my pitches and get ahead of the guys is what makes your life easier as a pitcher, especially a starting pitcher.”

He later added, “You want to go deep into games, just being able to attack the zone and get outs efficiently.”

If one was to flashback to 2023, Luzardo was one of the most dominant pitchers in the game, attacking the zone for a career-high 208 strikeouts on the season. For that, and more importantly, his consistent charitable work off the field in becoming a role model for the youth, earned him the honors of winning the 2023 National League LatinoMVP Starting Pitcher of the Year Award—the oldest and most prestigious awards given to Latin MLB athletes dating back to 1990—voted on each year by members of the Latino Sports Writers and Broadcasters Association. 

“The (LatinoMVP) awards are always cool and great to know about,” he said. “I’m grateful to have received it. And it’s cool to be a part of an exclusive club like that—of guys that have come and performed as well as they have.” 

Besides gearing up for the final stretch of the 2025 MLB regular season, and potentially a deep postseason run in October with the Phillies, Luzardo has his eyes set on the 2026 World Baseball Classic, where if he was to participate and represent Venezuela, it would mark his second-consecutive WBC edition doing so as he competed in the 2023 WBC. 

“I definitely hope to do it again next year,” he said of his excitement towards the 2026 WBC and potentially representing Venezuela once again. “It was awesome the first time.

Growing up, I went to the World Baseball Classics in Miami, and was rooting for Venezuela. Pitching in the last one, my family loved it and honestly, I really do it for them. It’s an honor to represent Venezuela.”

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