Phillies: Could Ranger Suarez steal the #5 pitching spot?

Entering into this year’s spring training, one of the most intriguing storylines surrounding the Phillies roster was that of the #5 position in the starting rotation.

The majority of eyes were pointed towards the battle between Vince Velasquez and Nick Pivetta, two players who have routinely struggled as starting pitchers in today’s MLB.

However, despite Velasquez and Pivetta both getting early starts this spring, a name that has begun to sneak his way into the conversation is 24 year old Ranger Suarez.

The Venezuelan born pitcher was signed to the Phillies back in 2012 as a 16 year old. Since joining the Philadelphia farm system, Suarez has done nothing but impress, especially recently. In 2018, Suarez posted a 2.75 ERA over 21 starts in both AA and AAA.

After some productive play down in the minors, Suarez was rewarded with an extended stay on the main roster in 2019. Across 37 games and just under 50 innings, Suarez established himself as one of the team’s most productive and consistent relievers. He posted a 3.14 ERA and 1.315 WHIP while striking out 42 batters.

Suarez utilizes a four seam fastball, changeup, and slider, while also relying heavily on a ground ball-inducing sinker. His sinker and fastball both sit in the mid-low 90s while his offspeed stuff hangs right in the middle of the 80s.

Stretching out Suarez into a starter role has long been discussed, as he was primarily used in that role throughout his entire minors career. Joe Girardi himself cited Suarez as a candidate for a starting job just a few weeks ago, citing that “you win with pitching”.

Suarez made his first spring training start earlier this week on Tuesday against the Pirates, throwing two scoreless innings. He allowed two hits, a walk, and recorded one strikeout.

Considering one of  Suarez’ direct competitors (Pivetta) allowed 2 runs in just 1.2 innings, it’s fair to say Suarez is still firmly entrenched in the competition.

While the Phils could definitely utilize Suarez as a strong lefty bullpen option this year, they may just get the most out of him by letting him start on the mound every fifth game.