Jesús Luzardo makes the sweeper his ally for success

Venezuelan pitcher Jesús Luzardo has firmly established himself as one of Major League Baseball's most dominant hurlers this season, with a key transformation in his repertoire: the adoption of the sweeper pitch. Introduced before the 2025 season after his arrival from Miami, the sweeper immediately became Luzardo's go-to offering.

With an average velocity of 86 miles per hour, this breaking ball accounts for 38.1% of his total pitches. It has become one of the most lethal individual pitches in baseball, as opponents are hitting a mere .117 against it, the second-lowest mark in the majors against any qualified pitch. The sweeper has also generated 113 strikeouts on its own, placing him second in the league behind Jacob Misiorowski's four-seam fastball.

Luzardo's mastery of the sweeper enhances his entire arsenal, which includes a 96-97 mph four-seam fastball (25.1%), an effective changeup against right-handed batters (18.7%), and a heavy sinker (18.0%). This balanced approach limits solid contact, with Luzardo ranking in the 91st percentile for hard-hit rate (31.8%) and boasting a 29.8% strikeout rate, the sixth-best in MLB.

In his last 12 starts, Luzardo leads the majors in WAR (3.0) and strikeouts (105), while posting a 1.98 ERA in that span. His exceptional performance has solidified his status as one of MLB's top starters, earning him a spot on the National League All-Star team this year.