Three pitchers off to alarming starts in 2024

Only a few weeks into the 2024 season, the league has seen numerous frontline pitchers go on the injured list, including Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider and several former Cy Young Award winners. Not only have injuries been a problem, but performances on the mound have been hit-or-miss to begin the season, leading to some concern among many teams. 

Here are three pitchers who have had rocky starts to their 2024 season. 

Jesus Luzardo, Miami Marlins
2024 stats: 0-2, 7.65 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 21 strikeouts in 20 innings pitched

Coming off a career year in 2023 that saw him go 10-10 with a 3.58 ERA and 208 strikeouts, the Marlins entered the season with big expectations for Luzardo. But after four starts he has failed to live up to that hype.

With pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez both on the shelf for the season, that left Luzardo as the number-one starter by default and it has not gone well for him. In his last two starts, Luzardo has allowed 12 earned runs, 15 hits and three home runs while walking six batters in nine and two-thirds innings pitched. 

While there is still plenty of time for the 26-year-old to figure things out, he might do it in another jersey, as he is one of the names brought up often in trade rumors.

Luzardo will try to right the ship in his next start versus the hot-hitting Chicago Cubs.

Joe Musgrove, San Diego Padres
2024 stats: 1-2, 6.87 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 17 strikeouts in 18.1 innings pitched

Entering this season, Musgrove had been one of baseball's best starters since joining the Padres in 2021, posting a 31-19 record with a 3.05 ERA and 484 strikeouts in 459.2 innings pitched.

This season he has had trouble getting hitters out.

He has surrendered 25 hits in 18.1 innings pitched while managing to make it out of the fifth inning in only one of his four starts.  

His next start won’t be easy either, as he will have to face the 10-4 Milwaukee Brewers.

Luis Castillo, Seattle Mariners
2024 stats: 0-4, 5.82 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 27 strikeouts in 21.2 innings pitched

The ace of the Seattle Mariners pitching staff since his arrival at the 2022 trade deadline, Castillo has looked far from his normal self in 2024.

Coming off a 14-9 record with a 3.34 ERA in 2023, Castillo has a 5.82 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP with 32 hits allowed in only 21.1 innings pitched in his four starts this season.

Off to a slow start as a team at 6-10, the Mariners will need Castillo to look more like the pitcher that struck out nine batters while allowing only two runs in six innings versus the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

Castillo will look to build on that outing in his next start versus the Colorado Rockies.