Luzardo has been dreaming of this since 2003

This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola’s Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PHILADELPHIA -- Left-hander Jesús Luzardo was 6 years old the last time the Marlins clinched a postseason berth during a 162-game season.

Born in Lima, Peru, but raised in Parkland, Fla., Luzardo grew up a Marlins fan. He attended Game 3 of the 2003 World Series against the heavily favored Yankees with his late grandfather, whose initials he wrote on his cap. He wore No. 9 for his favorite player, Juan Pierre, and idolized Fall Classic heroes Miguel Cabrera and Josh Beckett.

Luzardo will start for his hometown team tonight, hoping to join Marlins postseason lore in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Phillies. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park. The game can be seen on ESPN.

"It's just indescribable for me and my family," said Luzardo, who was leaving six tickets for them. "Like you said, I grew up in South Florida, so being a Marlins fan my whole life, and then getting in this position, is something I can't put into words, and it really hasn't hit me yet. So, hopefully down the road it does, but so far, I'm just enjoying the ride and trying to make it last as long as possible."

With ace Sandy Alcantara (right UCL sprain) shut down, the 26-year-old Luzardo was the easy choice to open Miami's quest for a third World Series title. He set a single-season franchise record for a left-hander with 208 strikeouts, and finished with the eighth-highest WAR among NL qualified starters.

Tonight will be Luzardo's fourth postseason appearance (third start) but his first since 2020, when he was a member of the A's. He is a different pitcher now, thriving with a change of scenery that came after a trade for Starling Marte in 2021.

"Thinking all the way back to when I was real young, playing for the Marlins was always like a dream, but I never even thought of it as a reality," Luzardo said. "Even coming up when I was with Oakland, I just never saw myself getting over here. And when it did [happen], it felt almost like it was meant to be. I thought about it a lot of times. I've been able to pitch in the postseason before, but I feel like this will be a little different because it's for the hometown team."

Luzardo isn't the only local kid seeking postseason glory.

First-base and outfield coach Jon Jay attended Columbus High School and the University of Miami before the Cardinals selected him in the second round of the 2006 MLB Draft. He played 12 seasons in the Majors, winning the 2011 World Series with manager Skip Schumaker in St. Louis. Schumaker brought in Jay for his first taste at coaching.

Jay was a freshman at UM during the 2003 Fall Classic. Like Luzardo, he was at rainy Game 3, though he snuck in with friends and sat 10 rows behind home plate.

"This is amazing," Jay said. "This is what I signed up for. I always wanted to play here and never got the chance to, but being a coach, it was just about having an impact on the organization, on this team, on the city of Miami. So I wear this uniform extremely proud, and I'm happy to be able to represent the Marlins during the playoffs now."