Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Ranger Danger: How Suárez Will Help the Phillies Reach New Heights in 2022
It can be difficult to find any positives surrounding the Philadelphia Phillies right now following their rollercoaster of a season.
They once again fell short of the postseason, finished only two games above .500, and partook in one of their infamous September collapses. It's a formula Philadelphia fans know all too well.
However, if there are any positives you wish to take away from 2021, it should be the emergence of Ranger Suárez.
Suárez made his major league debut for the Phillies in 2018, but did not begin to solidify himself as a real, prominent piece for this team until this season.
He began the season in the bullpen, and in 27 appearances, he posted a 1.12 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 40.1 innings.
Suárez was so dominant in relief that he even got promoted to the closer's role just before the All-Star Break. And outside of one blown save, he aced that role too.
At the trade deadline, the Phillies acquired Ian Kennedy from the Texas Rangers to fulfill the closer's role, so now Suárez would once again be on the move: this time to the starting rotation.
As Ranger shifted through roles, it was easy to believe that the Phillies were making a mistake. We've seen this all before, shifting a player from their usual role and seeing them crash and burn quickly, at no fault of their own.
But, Suárez was the lone—and unexpected—payoff in this experiment, as he absolutely shined as a starter.
In 12 starts, he went 3-2 with a 1.51 ERA and striking out 65 batters across 65.2 IP. Suárez even hurled a "Maddux" on Sept. 25 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, in which he needed only 97 pitches to propel the Phillies to a 3-0 win.
When you compile his stats as both a reliever and starter, Suárez's season becomes even more impressive. He finished the season with a 1.36 ERA, the lowest by an MLB pitcher with 100+ innings since Bruce Sutter in 1977, and the lowest in MLB history by a pitcher with at least 10 games started and 20 games in relief.
So, how did he do it? Suárez's pitch arsenal consisted of his sinker, which topped out at 93 mph, change-up, topping out at 85 mph, four-seam fastball at 94 mph, and occasionally a slider at 84 mph.
On a Phillies team with a number of glaring holes, Suárez was a pleasant surprise. He was the most reliable arm out of the bullpen during his time there, and was arguably the best option for #2 starter in the rotation in the second half.
Suárez's development is probably Philadelphia's biggest success story in a long time. And it's entirely possible that his unbelievable numbers this season get him some Cy Young award votes, alongside his teammate, Zack Wheeler.
Suárez's poise on the mound and determination to positively contribute to any role he was thrown into was a welcome sight for the 2021 Phillies, and it has even earned him some glowing praise from Bryce Harper when speaking to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports.
“In every single role that he’s been in for us, he’s done an incredible job. It’s very hard to go from reliever to long reliever to closer and back into starting within the first couple years of your big-league career," Harper said. "For him to be able to do that, the emotion he shows on the mound, the no heartbeat I would say. The situation is never too big for him. He goes out there, gets the ball, throws strikes, and doesn't walk anybody."
2021 has proved it: no role or situation is too big for Ranger Suárez, and the Phillies must continue to do right by him in 2022 and capitalize on his success moving forward. Suárez is sure to help Philadelphia in yet another push for the playoffs next season, and could be a huge factor in getting them there.
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