Jesús Luzardo named National League Pitcher of the Month for August

Jesús Luzardo’s breakthrough season has earned another distinction. The Philadelphia Phillies left-hander was named the National League’s Pitcher of the Month for August, the first such award of his eight-year Major League career.

The 28-year-old Venezuelan dominated across five starts, compiling a 3-0 record and a 1.31 earned-run average. He allowed five earned runs in 34.1 innings, gave up 21 hits and nine walks, and struck out 46 batters. His WHIP was 0.87, while opponents hit .172 against him.

Phillies manager Don Mattingly suggested Luzardo now belongs in the conversation as the team’s ace. “I think in many places they would say he’s the ace, right?” Mattingly told MLB.com. “He has been solid all year, in my opinion. I know he had some struggles at the beginning, but the whole team was having problems at that time.”

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I think in many places they would say he’s the ace, right?

Luzardo also joined an elite group in Philadelphia. He became the fourth Phillies pitcher this century to record four consecutive starts with at least nine strikeouts, following Zack Wheeler, Hall of Famer Roy Halladay and Randy Wolf. He became the first Phillies pitcher since Wheeler to record at least seven strikeouts in five straight starts.

His August performance included at least 45 strikeouts and fewer than 10 walks, a feat achieved by only 10 Phillies pitchers since 1901. Luzardo also reached 200 strikeouts for the third time, becoming the first Phillies pitcher to post consecutive 200-strikeout seasons since Wheeler did so in 2023 and 2024. Luzardo has 209 strikeouts this season, 16 short of joining the group of Venezuelan pitchers with 1,000 Major League strikeouts.

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He has been solid all year, in my opinion. I know he had some struggles at the beginning, but the whole team was having problems at that time.