MLB's Dave Stewart Says Jesus Luzardo's A Cy Young Dark Horse, Rookie's That Good!
MLB's Dave Stewart Luzardo's A Cy Young Dark Horse ... Rookie's That Good!!!
Fantasy baseball nerds, get your rankings out ... Oakland A's legend Dave Stewart tells TMZ Sports rookie Jesus Luzardo is going to have such a huge year, he's a Cy Young dark horse!!
"Luzardo, I think coming into this season obviously is the odds-on favorite to win the Rookie Of the Year," Stewart says. "And, I don't hesitate to take it a little bit further -- I wouldn't be surprised to see him as a Cy Young candidate."
If you haven't heard of Luzardo yet ... you probably should have, because the 22-year-old is arguably the top pitching prospect in baseball and appears poised for a monster first full season in the MLB.
In fact, in just 8.1 innings of spring training ball last month, before the MLB suspended play due to coronavirus ... Luzardo struck out 13 while walking 1 and only giving up 1 earned run.
When we asked Stewart about the kid ... he couldn't have loved the prospect's game more -- but says another rookie on the A's staff is going to impress as well!
"What's a shame is you've got also A.J. Puk," Stewart says. "So, you've got Puk and Luzardo, and they're going to be competing with each other for that Rookie of the Year."
As for Oakland's chances in the AL West now that the Houston Astros no longer have Gerrit Cole leading the charge ... Stewart tells us he thinks this could be the year the A's take back the division's crown.
