October 31, 2022
Matthew Tallarini, Chief Correspondent WORLD BASEBALL NETWORK
Ranger Suarez, born in Pies de Cuesta, Venezuela, is completing his fifth season with the Phillies. Suarez has played his entire professional career with the Phillies since he was signed at 16 during the international acquisition period in 2012. In 2012, Suarez was assigned to play in the Venezuelan Summer League for the Phillies. He only played in three games and was later suspended for the rest of the season due to testing positive for performance-enhancement drugs. The Phillies would give Suarez a chance for the next two seasons in the Venezuela Summer League, where he would pitch a chunk of innings in 2014. During his 2015 season, Suarez would be assigned at the rookie league level for the Phillies and would pitch 27 2/3 innings, appearing in six games with a 0.65 earned run average. Suarez bounced around the single affiliate level with the Phillies. He would finally improve his mechanics during his time in Lakewood at the High-A level for the organization. Suarez would go 14 games with a 1.59 earned run average, 90 strikeouts, and 85 innings pitched during the 2017 season for Lakewood. He would attend Phillies Spring Training for the 2018 season.
Suarez would accustom to pitching well against tough-hitting talent up and down MLB organizations during Spring Training as he was promoted to Double-A for the Reading Phillies for the 2018 season. In his Double-A season with Reading, Suarez would go 4-3, with a 2.76 earned run average, allowing two home runs, with 54 strikeouts, in just 12 starts. Suarez would later be promoted to the Triple-A ball club with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Suarez would improve his pace to be with the Major League club during the 2018 season. In nine starts, Suarez would have a 2.74 earned run average in 49 1/3 innings pitched, 31 strikeouts, and two walks, earning him a spot with the big league ball club later in the 2018 season. When Suarez was called up with the Phillies for a duration of the 2018 season, he went 1-1 with a 5.40 earned run average, recording 11 strikeouts in 15 innings pitched. Suarez entering the 2019 season, was ranked 10th in the Phillies prospectus pipeline. He would start with Lehigh Valley after spring training before being promoted to the big league ball club in June of the 2019 season. Suarez would go 6-1 during his first year with the Phillies before the shortened Covid season. He left a mark on the organization going 48 2/3 innings pitched, with a 3.14 earned run average and hauling 42 strikeouts in 37 games of the 2019 season.
Suarez would unfortunately hit the shelf during the 2020 Covid season as he was sidelined due to testing positive for Covid-19 to start the year. The Phillies would have their alternate site placed in Lehigh Valley for the 2020 year, where Suarez would facilitate his rehab assignments before joining the ball club later in the season. Suarez did not have his mechanics his way during the 2020 season, as he recorded a 20.25 earned run average in four innings pitched. Luckily Suarez would build confidence going into Spring Training of the 2021 season. Suarez had put up impeccable numbers during his first entire season with the Phillies. The Phillies went 82-80 last year, finishing in second place in the NL East, not making the playoffs. Suarez felt like a premier pitcher with his 1.36 earned run average, which would be the turnaround of his Major League career. Suarez would complete 2021 by appearing in 39 games in 12 starts and pitching over 100 innings.
Suarez had a great regular season for his 2022 campaign and is looking to help the Phillies win their third world championship in franchise history. His 29 starts this season have helped him gain much momentum and experience in crucial situations during the ball club’s playoff run. Having a 10-7 record and below a 4.0 ERA earned him a spot in the Phillies’ starting rotation for the World Series. Suarez would receive the 2022 Fielding Bible Award as the only pitcher nominated in all of the Majors. Ranger Suarez is slated to start in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series Wednesday at 8 PM EST at Citizens Park in Philadelphia.
