With the final weekend of the regular season in the books, the 2026 Luis Aparicio Award has two clear frontrunners: pitcher Jesús Luzardo (5.5 fWAR, 2.86 ERA, 221 strikeouts) and catcher Gabriel Moreno (.311 AVG, .874 OPS, 5.4 fWAR). Their overall value is almost identical — one-tenth of a WAR point apart — but the profiles couldn’t be more different: a left-handed starter born in Lima to Venezuelan parents, and a Barquisimeto-born catcher who just made history with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The vote hasn’t closed, but the debate is fully open.
Two Candidates, Nearly the Same WAR
Analyst Josué Porras framed it cleanly on X on September 27, acknowledging that Eduardo Rodríguez, Willson Contreras, Jackson Chourio, Wilyer Abreu, and Luis Arráez all have cases — but landing on these two as the real finalists:
- Jesús Luzardo: 14-5 record, 2.86 ERA, 221 strikeouts, 5.5 fWAR
- Gabriel Moreno: .311 AVG, .874 OPS, 16 home runs, 83 RBI, 5.4 fWAR
Luzardo wrapped the season with his third career 200-strikeout campaign — a feat only Félix Hernández (6 times), Johan Santana (5), and Carlos Carrasco (3) have matched among Venezuelan pitchers. His xwOBA allowed sat at .262, and opponents posted a hard-hit rate of just 33.2% against him. In plain terms: hitters almost never squared him up.
Moreno, for his part, put together the best offensive season of his career: .311/.388/.486, with an average exit velocity of 89.3 mph and a 42.2% hard-hit rate. That’s not just a pretty batting average — it’s a catcher who’s been hitting the ball hard with consistency, not just slapping singles and running.
Why Moreno Has the Edge
Moreno became the first player in Diamondbacks history to win a National League batting title, and only the third catcher since 1950 to do it. That’s not a minor footnote. Catchers don’t win batting titles — the position trades average for pitch-framing, blocking, and innings behind the plate. Moreno doing it at .311, with the crown decided on the final day of the season, puts him in a genuinely rare historical category.
His 5.4 fWAR is virtually the same as Luzardo’s 5.5, but the argument is easier to sell in a voting room: a catcher who hit .311 with 16 home runs and 83 RBI in a league where the position averages below .250 is a rounder story for a voter to hang their hat on.
Luzardo’s Case Is Real Too
Luzardo signed a five-year, $135 million extension with Philadelphia in March 2026 — which tells you plenty about how the Phillies value him — and a 2.86 ERA puts him among the best starters in the league. The complication is historical: of the award’s 22 editions, the overwhelming majority have gone to position players. Miguel Cabrera won it five times. Pitchers are fighting an uphill battle with Luis Aparicio voters by default.
There’s also the eligibility question worth noting: Luzardo was born in Lima, Peru, to Venezuelan parents. The award has recognized his eligibility before — he was an official finalist in 2025, finishing fourth with 213 points behind Eugenio Suárez, Maikel García, and Robert Suárez — so that precedent is established. Moreno is from Barquisimeto, Venezuela. No debate there.
The Closest Race in Years
The Luis Aparicio Award vote opens at the end of the regular season and the winner is announced in October, during the postseason. No verdict yet. But with the numbers on the table, this is the tightest race the award has seen in a long time: a pitcher who struck out 221 hitters versus a catcher who batted .311, separated by a single tenth of a WAR point.
The award carries the name of a shortstop who went to Cooperstown because nobody stole bases like him. Whoever gets it this time is going to have to earn it just as well.
