Red Sox Have Plenty to Think About After Ranger Suárez's Rough Spring

Overreacting to spring training starts is never a good idea, but the Boston Red Sox at least had to take pause at what they saw from Ranger Suárez on Tuesday.

Suárez, whose $130 million contract represented the Red Sox's largest commitment to a free agent since Craig Breslow took over the front office, had a highly unusual spring, thanks to his tenure with Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. He finished the WBC in rough fashion, and he got lit up again on Tuesday by the Minnesota Twins.

Though he's been the model of consistency over the last handful of seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, Suárez's spring struggles, plus his slow buildup, has to put the Red Sox on their guard as they get set to do battle in a brutally competitive American League East.

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What to watch for with Suárez early in season

Ranger Suárez — Sep 27, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (L) escorts pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) off the field after he is hit with a one drive during the fifth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Between the Grapefruit League and the WBC, Suárez allowed 17 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings, including five home runs allowed. He's been exceptional at keeping the ball in the yard throughout his career so far, and he's done it at a park that isn't any easier to pitch at than Fenway Park, so it's hard to say whether this is a true outlier, or something to watch for early in the year.

We know Suárez's fastball velocity is never going to blow hitters away at this stage of his career, so we don't need to panic about the lefty averaging 89.3 mph on his four-seamer on Tuesday. That said, his mark on Tuesday was two full miles per hour behind his yearly average from a season ago.

Per Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the Red Sox would have liked to have Suárez built up to the 80-pitch mark by now, but he only got to 69 on Tuesday. That's not the end of the world, but it means the Red Sox have an extra couple of variables to think about in his first few starts with the team that aren't particularly welcome.

It would be huge for Suárez to avoid any blow-up starts in March and April so he can finish building up without manager Alex Cora having to think about giving him a quick hook. And every win means more than usual this year, so when he makes his first start in game five of the season against the Houston Astros, Boston hopes his spring struggles instantly go by the wayside.