Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher, Ranger Suárez, set a career high in strikeouts and did something this past week only one other Phillies pitcher has done before him. His efforts were so impressive, they earned him his first ever National League Player of the Week award.
Suárez was dominant Sunday, striking out 11 Nationals hitters across seven strong innings en route to securing the series victory against the Phillies foe from Washington D.C. He walked none – the second start in a row he’d struck out double-digit batters while walking none. On the Phillies broadcast Sunday, it was confirmed that Ranger is only the second Phillies pitcher ever to do that. The other – World Series Champion Cole Hamels.
Total for the week, Suárez completed 13 2/3 innings, recording 21 strikeouts and tallying no walks across his two starts. Absolute dominance.
Suárez‘s incredible stretch
Ranger has put up incredible stretches before. In the first half of both this season and of 2024 he was firmly in the N.L. Cy Young award discussion, putting up gaudy numbers. This dominant stretch is not only a return to form, but stretches beyond the norm he’s established.
Mostly known for inducing soft contact and ground-balls, the Phillies left-hander has recorded 10+ K’s in two straight outings. In his 111 outings at the major league level prior to this week, he had only recorded double-digit strikeouts twice.
Suárez and the rest of Philadelphia’s starters have stepped up in a big way since the team lost Zack Wheeler for the season. In their first time through the rotation without their ace, the starters posted a 2.37 ERA with 46 K’s and only six walks across 30 1/3 innings.
(Top Photo of Ranger Suárez – Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images)
