Ranger Suárez’s postseason success sprouted from a career of consistency.
The left-handed pitcher from Venezuela has pitched well against lefties his entire big-league career. According to Baseball-Reference, Ranger Suárez has only allowed a batting average of .183 against left-handed batters. He also has only allowed 57 hits while earning 83 strikeouts against southpaw batters in his career.
Another important aspect of Suárez’s game is that he was not too reliant on his four-seam fastball in 2022. Baseball Savant recorded Suárez throwing his sinker 40.2 percent of the time, while he only turned to his four-seamer 17.7 percent of the time in 2022. This was the lowest percentage of any year of his career, and a big reason why he could gain command on the mound.
Suárez expanding to a six-pitch arsenal in 2022 — featuring a sinker, changeup, four-seam fastball, cutter, curveball, and a slider — made a huge impact on him reducing his reliance on his fastball.
Ranger Suárez, Wicked 77mph Curveball. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/ijHQhnbzOS
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) November 2, 2022
Expanding from a four-pitch arsenal allowed Suárez to transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation. His desire to expand his game not only made it so Suárez could become a starter in the majors, but it has also allowed him to increase his potential as a ballplayer.
Suárez brings the Phillies something that can propel them past their National League East foes. Philadelphia will have four starters to lean on throughout the season, with the addition of Taijuan Walker. A stable rotation of Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Suárez, and Walker not only has the potential to top the division, but also the entire National League.
While having flexibility on the mound is great, the flexibility Suárez provides on the books is another reason every Phillies fan should love the emerging star.