Ranger José Suárez (born August 26, 1995) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Suárez was born on August 26, 1995, in Pie de Cuesta, Venezuela.
His father Ricardo worked as a farmer in Venezuela, while Suárez spent his childhood playing baseball and soccer.
He spent most of his time in the outfield but began pitching at the age of 15.
2012
The Phillies signed Suárez, a native of Pie de Cuesta, as an international free agent in 2012.
His first season in the Venezuelan Summer League (VSL) was cut short by a drug suspension, but he returned to pitch in the VSL for two more seasons.
The Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB) signed Suárez as an international free agent in 2012 for a signing bonus of $25,000 USD.
He was sixteen years old when he made his professional baseball debut for the Venezuelan Summer League (VSL) Phillies, pitching in three games as the team's closer.
In five innings pitched, Suárez recorded four strikeouts and recorded two saves.
Suárez' season came to an abrupt end in July after he was found in violation of the Minor League Baseball (MiLB) drug program.
Suárez and fellow pitcher Daniel Cordero tested positive for the anabolic steroid Stanozolol, and were both suspended for 50 games.
He returned to the VSL the following year, posting a 3.18 earned run average with eight runs allowed and 13 strikeouts in 17 innings.
2014
In 2014, after giving up only one walk for the duration of the season, he began to attract the attention of the Phillies organization, and he was moved to the Rookie League the following year.
Suárez started to attract attention within the Phillies organization in 2014, when he gave up only one walk in 80 2⁄3 innings for the VSL Phillies.
He posted a 5–4 win–loss record that season, with a 1.56 ERA and 78 strikeouts, while leading the VSL in both innings pitched (80 2⁄3) and strikeouts (78).
2015
By 2015, Suárez had been assigned to the Rookie League GCL Phillies.
He pitched in only six games that season in the Gulf Coast League, as a left elbow strain cut his season short.
In the 27 2⁄3 innings that he did pitch, Suárez posted a 3–0 record and a 0.65 ERA with 20 strikeouts and only four walks allowed.
The next year, he was assigned to the Class A Short-Season Williamsport Crosscutters of the New York–Penn League (NYPL).
On July 26, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Auburn Doubledays, Suárez pitched a seven-inning no-hitter and took Williamsport to a 4–0 victory.
For the feat, he was named both the Phillies Minor League and the NYPL Pitcher of the Week for the week spanning July 25 to 31.
Suárez finished the season with a 6–4 record and a 2.81 ERA, striking out 53 batters in 73 2⁄3 innings.
That September, he was honored with the Rankin Johnson Pitcher of the Year Award, given to the Crosscutters' top pitcher of the season as decided by teammates and coaches.
2016
Suárez' stock continued to rise in 2016, when he pitched a no-hitter with the Williamsport Crosscutters.
2017
In 2017 and 2018, he continued to rise through the Phillies' farm system, spending time in Double-A and Triple-A as a starting pitcher with a high strikeout rate.
Suárez began the 2017 season with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws.
He had a strong start to the year, giving up only two runs in his first four starts and reaching a streak of 24 shutout innings.
For his efforts, the Phillies named Suárez their Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April 2017.
On June 27, he carried a perfect game into the eighth inning before giving up a single to Jarett Rindfleisch of the Greensboro Grasshoppers.
Suárez was named to the South Atlantic League All-Star team, but Jordan Jess replaced him on the roster.
This was because before the game, on July 4, Suárez was promoted to the Class A-Advanced Clearwater Threshers.
He joined a rotation of top pitching prospects that also included JoJo Romero, Sixto Sanchez, and Franklyn Kilome.
Between both minor league teams, Suárez posted an 8–6 record in 2017, with a 2.27 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 122 2⁄3 innings.
At the end of the season, the Phillies added Suárez and three other pitching prospects to the 40-man roster, in order to protect them from the Rule 5 draft.
2018
Suárez made his major league debut in 2018, when the Phillies were in need of an additional starting pitcher.
2019
He returned to Triple-A at the start of the 2019 season but was a mainstay within the Phillies by the end of June.
2020
He was used as a relief pitcher for most of his appearances that season, but was in contention for a role in the starting rotation in 2020.
Suárez ultimately missed most of the shortened season after contracting COVID-19 during training camp.
He returned to the team in 2021 as a long reliever, pitching a stretch of successful middle innings in a depth-challenged roster, before joining the starting rotation at the trading deadline.
Suárez served as the third starter during the 2022 Phillies season and was a key factor in the team winning the National League pennant.
