Luzardo only made 12 starts last season, throwing only 66.2 innings to a 5.00 ERA before being shut down in June due to a back injury. The concern surrounding Luzardo being able to return from this injury was warranted, but he is proving now that he is back to full health and dominating on the mound right now for the Phillies.
Through five starts with Philadelphia, Luzardo has a 2.08 ERA across 30.1 innings with a 10.7 K/9. He ranks in the 76th percentile with a chase rate of 31.8% and has re-established the feel for his four-seamer that he seemed to have lost in his limited starts last season for the Marlins. His dominance was felt from his first game at The Bank, as he struck out 11 in his debut.
Meanwhile, the players the Marlins received in return are struggling to find their footing in their new organization.
Known as a glove-first prospect, shortstop Starlyn Caba is currently playing at Single-A Jupiter and not finding much success at the plate. His .200/.431/.200 slash line is a cause for concern, but at least his plate discipline is still proving strong, as he is walking near 30% of the time.
The development at the plate was always the concern with Caba, and the Marlins are now tasked with trying to unlock that part of his game.
Emaarion Boyd was unranked in the Phillies system as a prospect. Known really for his speed, there isn’t much else to his game. He is currently hitting .114 in High-A Beloit, and the only notable thing he has accomplish thus far was the game in which he had three stolen bases even without recording a hit.
