On December 22, the Miami Marlins traded left-hander Jesús Luzardo and catcher prospect Paul McIntosh to the Philadelphia Phillies. The trade was a surprise pre-Christmas gift to Phillies fans, sending prospects Emaarion Boyd and Starlyn Caba to South Beach. With a pitching staff led by Caleb Cotham, the career 4.29 ERA starter is aiming to get started right away.

There’s always a thrill when a famous name is added. Prior to the official announcement of the Luzardo deal, Dave Dombrowski, the baseball operations president, remained silent. An early look indicates that 2023 holds potential for his position in the rotation going forward. Fans of the Phillies will soon have a chance to see Luzardo in a hopefully healthy 2025.

What does a name mean? Don’t refer to the newest starting for the Phillies as “Lizard King.”

Enthusiastic supporters can give players nicknames, and Luzardo is no exception. From the beginning, Phillies supporters will want to get to know their newest addition. Players’ nicknames are neatly posted on Baseball Reference’s pages, and Luzardo’s “Lizard King” moniker stood out. The strange part is that, according to Tim Kelly of OnPattison.com on X (previously Twitter), Luzardo was not aware of the term.

To tell the truth, I’ve never really been referred to by that name. My buddies all refer to me as Zeus. Simply put, it was simpler than speaking “Jesús” to them. However, I’ve never been nicknamed that before, so Lizard King is something new to me.”

Where ‘Lizard King’ originated is unknown to Jesus Luzardo.

To tell the truth, I have never been referred to by that name. My buddies all refer to me as Zeus. Simply put, it was simpler than speaking “Jesús” to them. However, I’ve never been nicknamed that before, so Lizard King is something new to me.”

Lizard King is undoubtedly a play on his last name, and it’s more funnier that this is the first time he’s heard of it in six Major League seasons. Zeus fits him well. The majority of the player nicknames are well-known, although it’s unclear how the website officially obtains them. It’s possible that players actually discover their nicknames at random.

Zeus might catch on, but Phillies supporters may still visit Citizens Bank Park wearing the nickname on placards supporting Luzardo after learning that he has never been referred to by his purported nickname, Lizard King. Perhaps it might be wise to drop the “Lizard King” moniker, at least for the time being. The thousands of people in South Philadelphia will be there to support their newest celebrity in any way they can. Nothing is certain, though, based on what we know about Philadelphia’s passion.