Ranger Suárez finished off his 2024 season Friday down in D.C. The results were nauseating, leaving the Philadelphia Phillies wondering what to make of Suárez with the postseason starting in mere days.
Suárez was looking to get another solid start under his belt and boost his confidence before the NLDS. This was a perfect opportunity to go against a Washington Nationals team that had conceded their season and even demoted shortstop C.J. Abrams.
Phillies definitely haven't fixed Ranger Suárez after disastrous final start
That wish vanished quickly as Suárez gave up seven hits, two walks and six earned runs in just two innings of work. The Phillies lost 9-1 and potentially fumbled their last chance at the No. 1 seed. The loss finished Suárez's season at 12-8 on the year with a 3.46 ERA in 27 starts. He also had 145 strikeouts and a 1.20 WHIP in 150 2/3 innings.
Not the best showing in the nation's capital... 😳
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) September 28, 2024
In his last start of the regular season, Ranger Suárez wasn't crisp, allowing seven hits and six earned runs over just two innings. Check out what went wrong for Ranger and the Phillies in the Phillies Game Story. | @Hyundai pic.twitter.com/THvj6K83PJ
It's unclear if it's time to hit the panic button on Suárez going into the postseason. He exuded such quiet confidence and earned himself his first All-Star selection just a few months ago. Going into the All-Star break, Suárez looked like he could walk away with the Cy Young Award with a 10-4 record and a 2.76 ERA. He was going deep into games and avoiding hard contact when needed.
The same cannot be said of late. Suárez suffered from lower back tightness in late July and had to go on the injured list. The Phillies were already in a bit of a funk and the team sorely missed the new and improved left-hander.
He returned from the IL on Aug. 24 and hoped to reclaim some of that magic down the stretch. Suárez struggled to get it going and couldn't replicate that same production. He finished the second half with a disappointing 2-4 record and 5.65 ERA. His velocity dipped and his command was off, but it looked like he had recovered little by little, and the Phillies thought they figured out the problem and fixed him, per Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Friday's results prove otherwise. His command wasn't as sharp, and the velocity on all five of his pitches was down at least a mile per hour.
Per Baseball Savant, Suárez is still in the 89th percentile in average exit velocity and the 90th in ground ball percentage. His whiff rate has dropped to 21.7 percent, putting him in the 19th percentile. The swing and miss just hasn't been there recently, and it showed against Washington with four of the seven hits exiting the barrel at 95+ mph.
“Well, I always have confidence in him because I think he’s very poised, that slow heartbeat comes into play,” manager Rob Thomson said after the game, per Zolecki. “I hope and I think that the adrenaline of the playoffs will pick it up. … He’s going to be the fourth starter, that’s for sure. But I always have confidence in him. I really do.”
Suárez hasn't been the same pitcher since his break-out earlier this year. Underlying hope remains because if there is one thing to hold onto, it's that Suárez has been able to turn it on once the postseason kicks off. His career ERA in the postseason is still a staggering 1.63 in 66 2/3 innings.