Ranger to the Rescue! Ranger Suárez Continues to Dazzle in Philly

Credit: Instagram.com (@phillies)

The NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies just came off their third straight series win, defeating the Cincinnati Reds 3-1 Sunday afternoon. On Saturday, Phillies pitcher Ranger Suárez snapped his quality start streak at ten games after going five innings, allowing five hits, one earned run, and striking out six. Since returning from the IL in early May, Suárez has been one of the best pitchers in MLB and a pillar in this Phillies’ starting rotation. Here’s how:

“He’s pitching, he's not just throwing,” Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm said after Suárez's outing Saturday. Suárez was pulled early Saturday due to some recent shoulder soreness, and Phillies manager Rob Thomson wanted to limit his southpaw, relieving him of his duties after 85 pitches.

Suárez has found his stride in the league at a perfect time as he heads into free agency in 2026. This season, the Venezuelan hurler is 7-2 with a 1.99 ERA and has ten quality starts in twelve starts.

It is refreshing to see a pitcher like Suárez when the league is filled with flamethrowers. Each of the six pitches in Suárez’s arsenal is below the major league average in miles per hour, but according to MLB’s Baseball Savant, Suárez is in the 93rd percentile in barrel percentage and 99th percentile in hard-hit percentage. Suárez is an artist on the bump, painting the corners and missing barrels. 

The most impressive thing about Suárez is his attitude. Regardless of whether he lets up a home run or strikes out the side, Suárez is constantly focused on executing the next pitch. This is why he is so effective. Suárez's calm demeanor and ability to throw any pitch for a strike keep batters off-balance despite the lack of velocity. 

Throughout the years, Suárez embraced his unique abilities and focused on mastering his command and pitching to contact. While Suárez has a below-average whiff rate, opponents are only hitting an average of 84 miles per hour on his pitches. According to MLB’s Baseball Savant, Suárez is in the 100th percentile in that statistic.

The All-Star Game rosters were revealed yesterday afternoon, and Suárez was snubbed, not being named an All-Star this year. On the bright side, Suárez has an opportunity to rest and get healthy for the second half of the season, where he struggled last year. Suárez looks to help propel the Phillies to their fourth straight playoff appearance and contribute to a deep playoff run in 2025.

Thank you for reading!

Elias Meredith (@EAM_55)