Phillies reliever Ranger Suarez showing promise in first full season
Ranger Suarez has had an excellent minor league career as a starter. Transitioning to the bullpen with the Phillies, he’s shown great promise this year.
Ranger Suarez made his professional debut in the Phillies organization as a mere 16-year old in 2012, allowing just two hits and no runs in five innings over three games in the now-defunct Venezuelan Summer League. He’s had a great deal of success in the minors since 2012 mainly as a starting pitcher, posting a 30-19 record with a 2.54 ERA over 94 games.
With the combination of injuries and just poor performances, the Phillies bullpen has been an area of mediocrity. However, Suarez has made a seemingly smooth transition to the pen.
Last season, Suarez had an excellent season combined at Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley before making four appearances in the majors. He was rather ineffective, allowing 21 hits, six walks, three home runs, and nine earned runs in 15 innings.
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Starting this season at Lehigh Valley, Suarez was hurt by the long ball in seven starts, allowing eight home runs in 38 innings with a high ERA of 5.68. Making his 2019 debut June 10 against the Diamondbacks, Suarez allowed four runs on seven hits, including two home runs.
Not making another appearance for nearly two weeks, Suarez found his rhythm, beginning a run of nine scoreless appearances of his next ten outings, recording a slim ERA of 0.79 in 11 1/3 innings.
A rough patch ensued for Suarez over seven appearances from July 27 through August 11, allowing eight earned runs in 9 2/3 innings, raising his ERA to 4.33. After a three-earned run outing in 2.1 innings in Philadelphia’s 19-11 loss the Marlins on August 23rd, Suarez turned the corner.
Perhaps the most reliable member of the bullpen over the past month, Suarez has had 13 consecutive scoreless outings. During this stretch, he has allowed only six hits, no runs and two walks over 10.1 innings.
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With the Phillies likely falling short of the postseason, there will be numerous changes made in the offseason. Those changes will undoubtedly be focused on the pitching staff, first and foremost. Suarez is well on his way to solidifying his spot as in an integral part of the bullpen for 2020 and beyond.