Ranger Suárez
Suárez with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018
Philadelphia Phillies – No. 55
Pitcher
Born: (1995-08-26) August 26, 1995
Pies de Cuesta, Venezuela
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
MLB debut
July 26, 2018, for the Philadelphia Phillies
MLB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Win–loss record29–21
Earned run average3.41
Strikeouts409
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Ranger José Suárez[1] (born August 26, 1995) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB).

The Phillies signed Suárez, a native of Pie de Cuesta, as an international free agent in 2012. His first season in the Venezuelan Summer League (VSL) was cut short by a drug suspension, but he returned to pitch in the VSL for two more seasons. In 2014, after giving up only one walk for the duration of the season, he began to attract the attention of the Phillies organization, and he was moved to the Rookie League the following year. Suárez' stock continued to rise in 2016, when he pitched a no-hitter with the Williamsport Crosscutters. In 2017 and 2018, he continued to rise through the Phillies' farm system, spending time in Double-A and Triple-A as a starting pitcher with a high strikeout rate.

Suárez made his major league debut in 2018, when the Phillies were in need of an additional starting pitcher. He returned to Triple-A at the start of the 2019 season but was a mainstay within the Phillies by the end of June. He was used as a relief pitcher for most of his appearances that season, but was in contention for a role in the starting rotation in 2020. Suárez ultimately missed most of the shortened season after contracting COVID-19 during training camp. He returned to the team in 2021 as a long reliever, pitching a stretch of successful middle innings in a depth-challenged roster, before joining the starting rotation at the trading deadline. Suárez served as the third starter during the 2022 Phillies season and was a key factor in the team winning the National League pennant.

Early life

Suárez was born on August 26, 1995, in Pie de Cuesta, Venezuela.[1] His father Ricardo worked as a farmer in Venezuela, while Suárez spent his childhood playing baseball and soccer. He spent most of his time in the outfield but began pitching at the age of 15.[2]

Baseball career

Minor leagues

The Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB) signed Suárez as an international free agent in 2012 for a signing bonus of $25,000 USD.[3] He was sixteen years old when he made his professional baseball debut for the Venezuelan Summer League (VSL) Phillies, pitching in three games as the team's closer. In five innings pitched, Suárez recorded four strikeouts and recorded two saves.[4] Suárez' season came to an abrupt end in July after he was found in violation of the Minor League Baseball (MiLB) drug program. Suárez and fellow pitcher Daniel Cordero tested positive for the anabolic steroid Stanozolol, and were both suspended for 50 games.[5] He returned to the VSL the following year, posting a 3.18 earned run average with eight runs allowed and 13 strikeouts in 17 innings.[4] Suárez started to attract attention within the Phillies organization in 2014, when he gave up only one walk in 80+2⁄3 innings for the VSL Phillies.[6] He posted a 5–4 win–loss record that season, with a 1.56 ERA and 78 strikeouts, while leading the VSL in both innings pitched (80+2⁄3) and strikeouts (78).[1][4]

By 2015, Suárez had been assigned to the Rookie League GCL Phillies. He pitched in only six games that season in the Gulf Coast League, as a left elbow strain cut his season short. In the 27+2⁄3 innings that he did pitch, Suárez posted a 3–0 record and a 0.65 ERA with 20 strikeouts and only four walks allowed.[7] The next year, he was assigned to the Class A Short-Season Williamsport Crosscutters of the New York–Penn League (NYPL). On July 26, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Auburn Doubledays, Suárez pitched a seven-inning no-hitter and took Williamsport to a 4–0 victory.[8] For the feat, he was named both the Phillies Minor League and the NYPL Pitcher of the Week for the week spanning July 25 to 31.[1] Suárez finished the season with a 6–4 record and a 2.81 ERA, striking out 53 batters in 73+2⁄3 innings.[4] That September, he was honored with the Rankin Johnson Pitcher of the Year Award, given to the Crosscutters' top pitcher of the season as decided by teammates and coaches.[9]

Suárez began the 2017 season with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. He had a strong start to the year, giving up only two runs in his first four starts and reaching a streak of 24 shutout innings. For his efforts, the Phillies named Suárez their Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April 2017.[10] On June 27, he carried a perfect game into the eighth inning before giving up a single to Jarett Rindfleisch of the Greensboro Grasshoppers.[11] Suárez was named to the South Atlantic League All-Star team, but Jordan Jess replaced him on the roster.[12] This was because before the game, on July 4, Suárez was promoted to the Class A-Advanced Clearwater Threshers. He joined a rotation of top pitching prospects that also included JoJo Romero, Sixto Sanchez, and Franklyn Kilome.[13] Between both minor league teams, Suárez posted an 8–6 record in 2017, with a 2.27 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 122+2⁄3 innings.[4] At the end of the season, the Phillies added Suárez and three other pitching prospects to the 40-man roster, in order to protect them from the Rule 5 draft.[14]

In 2018, Suárez was assigned to the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils as part of a starting rotation that also included Romero, Kilome, and Seranthony Dominguez.[15] He was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week twice with Reading, once in April and once in June.[16] At the end of June, he was promoted to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, where, after a difficult first start, he accumulated 65 strikeouts in 14 games.[17] Between Reading and Lehigh, Suárez posted a 6–3 record in 2018, with a 2.75 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 21 games and 124+1⁄3 innings.[4]

Philadelphia Phillies

Suarez in 2019

After a rain delay forced a doubleheader against the San Diego Padres, the Phillies were in need of an extra man in their starting rotation, and Suárez was called up to the major leagues on July 24, 2018.[18] He debuted on July 26, allowing six hits and four runs in five innings, including a pair of two-run home runs from Eugenio Suarez and Tucker Barnhart. Suárez came away with the win, however, as the Phillies hit seven home runs for a 9–4 victory.[19] He was the first left-handed starter to pitch for the Phillies since Adam Morgan in 2016.[18] Suárez played four games with the Phillies in 2018, starting three, and posted a 1–1 record with a 5.40 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 15 innings.[20]

Suárez returned to Lehigh in 2019 as MLB.com's No. 10 prospect in the Phillies organization.[21] After two brief major-league call-ups in June, he received a final promotion to the Phillies on June 20. That July, he became the first Phillies pitcher since Michael Stutes in 2011 to record wins in three consecutive appearances.[1] Despite playing 82 of his 94 minor league games as a starting pitcher, Suárez became a staple of the Phillies' bullpen as a left-handed reliever alongside Morgan and José Álvarez.[22] He made 37 relief appearances for the Phillies in 2019, finishing eight games for them. Suárez posted a 6–1 record and a 3.14 ERA, with 42 strikeouts in 48+2⁄3 innings.[20]

After his successful 2019 season, Suárez was expected to be a strong candidate for a position in the Phillies' 2020 starting rotation.[23] His upward trajectory, however, came to a halt shortly before opening day, when he tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.[24] After spending four weeks quarantining in a hotel room in Clearwater, Florida, Suárez rejoined the roster for the final part of the season, which was shortened to 60 games due to the impacts of the pandemic.[25] He began rehab assignments in Lehigh Valley in late August before being placed into a bullpen with recent acquisitions Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree, and David Hale.[26] In only four innings with the Phillies, Suárez posted an ERA of 20.25, surrendering 10 hits and nine earned runs, including one home run, while striking out only one batter.[20]

Once again, Suárez opened the 2021 season with Lehigh.[27] He returned to the Phillies on May 27, called in to relieve Spencer Howard in the fifth inning of a game against the Miami Marlins. He took over on the mound with the bases loaded, and proceeded to pitch three shutout innings in what ultimately became a 3–2 win for the Phillies.[25] The following week, on June 5, Suárez was once again called to relieve Howard, whose pitch velocity fell by 6 mph (9.7 km/h) between the first and third inning. After the 5–2 victory over the Washington Nationals, Phillies manager Joe Girardi told reporters that he intended to combine Howard and Suárez in future games.[28] His role had shifted by July: Héctor Neris was removed as the Phillies' closer in June after four blown saves and an 8.22 ERA for the month, and José Alvarado lost the position when he walked 27 batters in 31 innings. Suárez was asked to close a 4–2 win over the San Diego Padres on July 3, picking up his first career save.[29] He blew his first save two weeks later, giving up a two-run home run to Jesús Aguilar in the ninth inning of a game against the Miami Marlins, forcing the game into extra innings.[30] At the MLB trading deadline, the Phillies acquired closer Ian Kennedy from the Texas Rangers; Suárez, in turn, was promoted to the starting rotation.[31] Suárez threw his first career complete game, a 97 pitch four-hit 3-0 shutout or Maddux against the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 25, 2021.[32][33]

He pitched in 39 games for the Phillies in 2021, starting 12 and finishing 13, and posted an 8–5 record with a 1.36 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 106 innings.[20] He held opposing left-handed batters to a .109 batting average and .129 slugging percentage, the lowest of all major league pitchers.[34]

2022

In 2022 he was 10-7 with a 3.65 ERA in 29 starts over 155.1 innings.[35] He held opposing left-handed batters to a .197 batting average and .303 slugging percentage.[36]

In game five of the 2022 National League Championship series, Suárez helped to clinch the series win over the San Diego Padres. Suárez entered the game in the top of the ninth inning to replace David Robertson, who managed to strikeout his first batter and issued two walks afterwards. Suárez's first pitch was bunted by Trent Grisham to which Suárez fielded to throw out Grisham, allowing the runners to advance to second and third base. With two outs, Suárez faced Austin Nola, who hit a fly ball on the first pitch thrown and was caught by Nick Castellanos, claiming a 4–3 victory over the Padres.

2023

On January 13, 2023, Suárez agreed to a one-year, $2.95 million contract with the Phillies for the 2023 season, avoiding salary arbitration.[37]

In the 2023 regular season Suárez had a record of 4-6 with a 4.18 ERA over 22 starts and 125 innings pitched.

In the 2023 National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves Suárez would start in both games 1 and 4 in both games matching up with Braves pitcher Spencer Strider . In game 1 he pitched 3.2 innings only giving up 1 hit and recording 4 strikeouts. In game 4 Suárez recorded a victory pitching 5 innings, giving up only 1 earned run in a 3-1 series clinching victory

Pitcher profile

Suárez spent most of his professional baseball career as a starting pitcher before alternating through the bullpen in many roles such as a long reliever, set-up man and closer by the Phillies from 2019 to 2021. In the late 2021 season, however, the Phillies moved Suárez to the starting pitching rotation due to lack of depth and injuries in their rotation.[38] Suárez' pitch repertoire varies based on how he is being used: as a starting pitcher, he prefers to use a slider, while, as a reliever, he utilizes a combination of a sinker and a changeup. Suárez' fastball averages 93 mph (150 km/h) and contributes to a high strikeout rate.[39]

Personal life

Suárez is the first MLB player to be named "Ranger". While he was playing in the minor leagues, some of his teammates nicknamed him the "red Power Ranger".[40] Suárez has two brothers named Raymer and Rosmer and a sister named Rangerlin. He told reporters that it is a family tradition to give every child a name beginning with the letter "R".[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ranger Suárez Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. Advanced Media Group. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  2. ↑ Gelb, Matt (July 8, 2021). "'Attack hitters, all the time': Ranger Suárez's improbable, decade-long journey from $25,000 signee to Phillies closer". The Athletic. Archived from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Salisbury, Jim (July 24, 2018). "Phillies to promote Ranger Suarez, the prospect once coveted by Orioles in Manny Machado trade talks". NBC Sports Philadelphia. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ranger Suarez Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Philadelphia Phillies minor leaguer suspended for violating minor league baseball drug program". The Express-Times. Associated Press. July 12, 2012. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  6. ↑ Brookover, Bob (April 19, 2019). "Phillies' top 25 minor-league prospects: Spencer Howard, Alec Bohm lead list". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  7. ↑ Rupert, Mitch (June 11, 2016). "Seven top prospects could be Cutters". Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  8. ↑ Tripodi, Chris (July 26, 2016). "Suarez spins no-hitter for Williamsport". MiLB.com. Advanced Media Group. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  9. ↑ Hixson, Chuck (September 7, 2016). "Maglich, Suarez Top Players for Williamsport". 247Sports.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Ranger Suarez Named Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Month". MiLB.com. Advanced Media Group. May 6, 2017. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  11. ↑ Battifarano, Andrew (June 27, 2017). "Suarez flirts with perfecto for BlueClaws". MiLB.com. Advanced Media Group. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  12. ↑ Granado, Steve (June 26, 2017). "Best of Best: Power show four All-Stars". MiLB.com. Advanced Media Group. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  13. ↑ Heneghan, Kelsie (August 6, 2017). "Stingy Suarez dominates for Threshers". MiLB.com. Advanced Media Group. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  14. ↑ Breen, Matt (November 20, 2017). "Phillies drop Mark Appel from 40-man roster, add prospects". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  15. ↑ "2018 Reading Fightin Phils Roster Released". MiLB.com. Advanced Media Group. March 30, 2018. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Green and Suarez named Eastern League Player and Pitcher of Week". MiLB.com. Advanced Media Group. June 25, 2018. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  17. ↑ Breen, Matt (July 24, 2018). "Phillies lefty Ranger Suarez to debut Thursday against Reds". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  18. 1 2 Evans, Bill (July 24, 2018). "Ranger Suarez to make ML debut for Phillies; What's next for Jerad Eickhoff?". NJ.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Phillies 7-homer binge produces 9–4 win over Reds". ESPN.com. Associated Press. July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "Ranger Suarez Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  21. ↑ Ventola, Mike (March 29, 2019). "Preliminary IronPigs roster announced". MiLB.com. Advanced Media Group. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  22. ↑ Evans, Bill (July 20, 2019). "Ranger Suarez, bullpen lefties helping Phillies stay afloat in playoff race". NJ.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  23. ↑ Salisbury, Jim (July 2, 2020). "Will Phillies be without four key players on opening day?". NBC Sports Philadelphia. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  24. ↑ Brookover, Bob (August 8, 2020). "Phillies' bullpen blues could be eased by return of David Robertson and Ranger Suarez". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  25. 1 2 Breen, Matt (May 27, 2021). "Ranger Suárez is claiming a role in the Phillies' bullpen after a season lost to COVID-19". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  26. ↑ Salisbury, Jim (August 28, 2020). "Phillies get good news on Ranger Suarez, bad news on David Robertson". NBC Sports Philadelphia. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  27. ↑ Salisbury, Jim (May 3, 2021). "Where the Phillies' top prospects are going as minor-league season opens". NBC Sports Philadelphia. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  28. ↑ Breen, Matt (June 5, 2021). "Spencer Howard fades again but Phillies rally behind Ranger Suárez, Andrew McCutchen for 5–2 win over Nationals". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  29. ↑ Seidman, Corey (July 3, 2021). "Did Suarez seize closer's role for Phillies?". NBC Sports Philadelphia. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  30. ↑ Zolecki, Todd (July 17, 2021). "Suárez blows save, Saturday's game paused". MLB.com. Advanced Media Group. Archived from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  31. ↑ Seidman, Corey (July 31, 2021). "A major, post-trade deadline shakeup in Phillies' starting rotation". NBC Sports Philadelphia. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  32. ↑ Salisbury, Jim. "Suarez, Harper, Vierling Lead Surging Phillies to a Big Win in Front of Bigger Crowd". NBC Philadelphia. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  33. ↑ Kistner, Kade. "Suárez Throws a Gem as Phillies Inch Closer in NL East". Sports Illustrated Inside The Phillies. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  34. ↑ "Splits Leaderboards | FanGraphs".
  35. ↑ "Ranger Suarez Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com.
  36. ↑ "Ranger Suarez 2022 Pitching Splits". Baseball-Reference.com.
  37. ↑ "2023 MLB Arbitration Tracker". MLBTradeRumors. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  38. ↑ Gelb, Matt. "Phillies call for (another) pitching change: Why they're moving Ranger Suárez from closer to the rotation". The Athletic. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  39. ↑ Gelb, Matt (June 3, 2021). "Phillies Six Pack: Odúbel Herrera's career-defying trends, Zack Wheeler's wizardry, Ranger Suárez's usage". The Athletic. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  40. ↑ Zolecki, Todd (January 10, 2018). "Phils prospects making name for themselves". MLB.com. Advanced Media Group. Archived from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
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