There's something about stepping onto a baseball field that makes everyone just a little more superstitious than they would be otherwise.
That's how it works for Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo and his glasses.
The specs will take centerstage Tuesday night when Luzardo toes the rubber against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.
And here's the thing: Luzardo doesn't actually need the glasses.
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Why does Jesus Luzardo wear glasses?
As a kid, Luzardo wore rec specs because he couldn't always see the signs from his catcher.
He continued to wear them as he ascended the ranks, but he doesn't wear them anywhere else in his life.
In 2021, Luzardo got rid of the glasses and pitched badly, and he has put them on and kept them since.
“They used to be prescription,” Luzardo told MLB.com. “Then one day I left them at home in `22. We were in Atlanta. I said, ‘I have to go get glasses. I can’t pitch without glasses.’ So, I went to an Oakley store in Atlanta and bought a regular pair. I pitched well and ever since I was like, ‘I can’t switch them.’”
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Jesus Luzardo stats with and without glasses
Luzardo has referenced the 2021 season as the one he didn't wear glasses. That year, he had a 6.61 ERA.
If we remove that from his MLB ledger and take his combined ERA from his other six seasons, it's 4.19.
This season, Luzardo has pitched to a 3.92 ERA in his first season with the Phillies, wearing glasses for each and every start.