OAKLAND ATHLETICS TOP 10 PROSPECTS
1. JESUS LUZARDO, LHP
AGE: 22. B-T: L-L. HT: 6-0. WT: 209.
DRAFTED: HS—Parkland, Fla., 2016 (3rd round).
SIGNED BY: Alex Morales (Nationals).
TRACK RECORD: Born in Peru, Luzardo was raised in Florida and attended Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland. He was on track to be a potential first-round pick in 2016 until he needed Tommy John surgery two months before the draft. He fell to the third round, where the Nationals picked him No. 94 overall and signed him for an above-slot $1.4 million. Luzardo made a full recovery and flashed big stuff when he returned, leading the Athletics to acquire him at the 2017 trade deadline with Blake Treinen and Sheldon Neuse in the trade that sent Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle to the Nationals. With the A’s, Luzardo bounded three levels up to Triple-A and started the Futures Game in a breakout 2018 and appeared on the precipice of the big leagues in 2019. Instead he suffered a rotator cuff strain in March and a lat strain in July, but he still managed to make his big debut in September and was so dominant that the A’s carried him on their postseason roster. Including a scoreless three-inning relief appearance in the American League Wild Card Game, Luzardo allowed just two runs in 15 innings and struck out 20 batters in his first big league action.
Luzardo was able to tap back into his fastball post-surgery, flirting with easy velocity up to 97 mph and impressive natural sink. Luzardo confidently works his heater
