Jesús Luzardo wasted no time making an impression in his Philadelphia Phillies debut, striking out 11 Washington Nationals over five strong innings in an 11-6 win. The left-hander showcased his signature fastball and revealed a new weapon-his “secret” sweeper.

While Luzardo has always had swing-and-miss stuff, Saturday’s outing showed an evolved pitcher.

Looking at Baseball Savant, his fastball touched 98.9 mph and averaged 96.9, matching last season’s average, but the variety and sharpness of his secondary pitches defined his performance. He threw 95 pitches total, including 34 four-seam fastballs, 22 sweepers, 14 changeups, 14 sliders, and 11 sinkers.

The sweeper stood out in particular. Luzardo used it heavily against left-handed batters, making up over half of his pitches to them. It was responsible for five of his strikeouts, had an average velocity of 86.9 mph, and had a spin rate of 2313 RPM.

Though he had only debuted the pitch in spring training, it already looked polished and practical. Its late movement gave opposing hitters fits and complemented his traditional slider.

Luzardo’s four-seamer averaged 96.9 mph with a max of 98.9 and a consistent spin rate of around 2286 RPM. His changeup sat at 88.7 mph, while the slider and sinker clocked in around 86-96 mph with strong spin metrics.

Beyond the raw data, Luzardo appeared confident and in control. He managed the game with poise, working efficiently through the Nationals’ lineup. It was a far cry from his last outing in D.C. in 2024, where diminished velocity and command limited his effectiveness.

The Phillies acquired Luzardo this offseason to bolster an already deep rotation, and his debut showed why. With health on his side and a new pitch to keep hitters off balance, Luzardo may be poised for his best season yet.