Ranger Suárez’s 2021 numbers against left-handed hitters show his immense value to the Phillies
People are finally talking about how good Ranger Suárez was for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021, and to that I say, welcome to the party.
What took you so long?
The underrated pitcher did it all in 2021. He finished the season with a career-best 1.36 ERA over 106 innings, more than double his previous season-high. Included among his 39 games were 12 starts, 13 games finished, four saves, and a complete-game shutout of the Pittsburgh Pirates, which only took him 97 pitches, a feat known as a Maddux game.
It’s no wonder Bryce Harper wanted him to be the NL Comeback Player of the Year.
Among the 331 pitchers with at least 20 innings of work in 2021, Suárez outpaced everyone, holding left-handed hitters to a measly .129 slugging percentage. Lefty batters slugged at least .151 against everyone else.
Suárez also led all pitchers in the same split by keeping lefties hitting .109; essentially making him unhittable. More to the point, he was one of 14 pitchers to not allow a home run to an LHH all season.
That Suárez can pitch at any point in the game gives the Phillies an immense amount of the versatility they desperately need. He began the season as a reliever before being moved back to the starting rotation for the first time since 2018. With Zach Eflin rehabbing from knee surgery, Suárez will likely start the season in the rotation, and hopefully, continue to dominate.