Jesus Luzardo Named to First All-Star Game as Replacement
Jul 4, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo (44) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
The Phillies have another All-Star being added to the National League roster, and it’s not who many thought it’d be.
The MLB has announced that Phillies left-handed pitcher Jesus Luzardo will be added to the National League team as a replacement. Luzardo, along with Braxton Ashcraft and Riley O’Brien, will replace Jacob Misiorowski, Max Meyer, and Paul Skenes, as they will all be unable to pitch in the game.
Luzardo will be the sixth Phillie to make the All-Star team this season, joining Brandon Marsh, Bryce Harper, Cristopher Sanchez, Jhoan Duran, and Kyle Schwarber. As of now, the Phillies will send the most representatives from one single team, with six, with that coincidentally being at their own ballpark.
This is a huge accomplishment for Luzardo, who, in just his second season in Philadelphia, makes his first-ever All-Star Game. Luzardo was acquired before the 2025 season for former Phillies prospects Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd and hasn’t looked back since.
In his year and a half in Philadelphia, Luzardo has thrown 287 innings, striking out 341 and posting a 3.86 ERA. This year, Luzardo has posted a 7-4 record with a 3.75 ERA and 125 strikeouts, with the strikeouts being the fifth most in all of baseball. He’s been a huge part of the Phillies’ dominant rotation over the past few seasons, essentially being the No. 3 ace pitcher behind Sanchez and Zack Wheeler.
The Phillies have appreciated the outstanding play so much that before the 2026 season began, the team and Luzardo agreed to a five-year, $135 million contract extension, preventing him from entering free agency this summer.
Some are confused as to how Luzardo has made the team before the other Phillies pitcher who deserves an All-Star nod this season, Wheeler. Well, it’s similar to the situation Sanchez faced last season: Wheeler is lined up to pitch on the final day before the MLB stops for the All-Star break, and since he won’t be able to pitch in the All-Star Game, MLB will not name him an All-Star.
Despite his being worthy of the nod, the league does not want to give All-Star appearances to pitchers or players who will just opt out. Due to that, Wheeler will likely not be named an All-Star this season despite being one of the top pitchers in the league this season.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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