Ranger Suárez signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as an international free agent our of Venezuela in 2012 when he was just 16 years old. Fast forward more than a decade later and the left-handed pitcher has become a fan-favorite in Philadelphia for a multitude of reasons.
His performance on the field is one, but his cool, calm, and collected demeanor has captured the adoration of many.
Despite making a qualifying offer, the Phillies knew entering this offseason that it would be a longshot that they’d be able to bring back the first-time free agent considering the contract he would command.
Now, after signing a five-year $130 million with the Boston Red Soxon Wednesday, Suárez's time in Philadelphia has come to a close.
His time in red pinstripes was memorable. He was a key piece of the Phillies' teams that made the postseason four years in row. Here's retrospective of his career in Philadelphia.
Ranger Suárez's Phillies career was a memorable one
Suárez made his Major League debut in July of 2018 against the Cincinnati Reds. In that season, he appeared in four games, starting in three of them, and posting a 5.40 ERA.
Gabe Kapler, the manager at the time, spoke highly of his new pitcher prior to his debut, per Joe Bloss of MLB.com.
"He's shown the ability to get swings and misses in and out of the strike zone," Kapler said, per Bloss. "Got a good sinker. Incredible demeanor, we saw it in Spring Training. He's got -- there's some courage there. I don't think situations get too big for him."
The 2019 season was more consistent for the then 23-year-old. He made 37 appearances, all in relief, but finished the campaign with a 3.14 ERA in 48 2/3 innings.
His real breakout season came in 2021, one year after the shortened 2020 campaign. He took the mound in 39 contests and was tabbed to start in 12 of them.
Over the course of that season, Suárez had a 1.36 ERA over 106 frames. He managed to strikeout 107 batters and even notched four saves out of the bullpen.
From that point, it was apparent that the native Venezuelan could be relied on due to his versatility as a starter and a reliever.
In the seasons that followed, Suárez continued to show his value on the mound. From 2022-2025 he started 104 regular season games for the club. In that span he sported a 3.59 ERA with a WHIP of 1.29.
Injuries plagued some of those seasons, but he still averaged about 26 starts per season in that span.
One of the most impressive aspects of Suárez's career in Philadelphia was his postseason performances. Perhaps most notable of all of them was closing out Game 5 of the NLCS in the 2022 to help the club advance to their first World Series appearance since 2009.
Overall, in 42 2/3 postseason frames, the lefty's playoff ERA currently stands at 1.48 with a 1.06 WHIP.
The Phillies will miss the consistency and composure that the second-longest tenured player as of 2025 brought to the club. Suárez left an impact behind in Philadelphia and it will be tough watching him pitch in another uniform, but that is the nature and the business of baseball. Good luck in Boston, Ranger.